What a lovely first evening…it’s going to be a great week!
Monday, 10th July
The day of all days.
We started our first morning bright and early, with the ultimate breakfast of eggs and muffins, yum yum.
This geared us up ready for our very first, annual DODGEBALL TOURNAMENT.
The groups were great showing some amazing moves; dodging at every angles, catching and eliminating everyone around.
the staff are in need of an improvement session. But we will come back stronger than ever. Watch this space.
We then started our morning activities which consisted of ace den building, some of most unbelievable dens we’ve seen! They had many luxurious extras like hot tubs, rock pets and beautiful gardens.
In sport we defiantly put the ultimate in ultimate frisbee, throwing far and wide. The non bib team beating the others by 5 goals to 1.
In creative we put our moulding skills into test, creating pots, themed with faces on them. They turned out amazing and are drying, ready for plants, jewellery, or anything you like!
After this fun-filled morning we were treated to the ultimate curry for our lunch, cooked by Nobby the extraordinaire, we enjoyed this; replenished our energy ready for the afternoons events.
After getting our bellies filled some of us headed off for our first English class! We made posters all about ourselves, our countries, our favourite foods and our flags. The rain stopped us playing inside but we still did animal games to introduce ourselves, saying our name, our favourite animal and passing it along to the next person.
Our sport consisted of two huge games of bench ball, there was some serious competitiveness between the campers and the tutors.
The adventure was some serious boat building! We had to build a floatation device that survived the stormiest seas, which were tried and testing in the camp bucket. Every ship bar one survived our test, we were pleased to announce.
For dinner we enjoyed scrumptious sausage rolls, potatoes and extras!
This was needed for the money night Ice-breaker games! The chubby bunny contest was particularly tense; coming to the fine lines which left one champion with 14 marshmallows! We also did our very popular trash bag fashion show, where we saw outfits better than Gucci has ever headlined.
Of course we ended with the egg drop, a tense completion which saw many of our eggs scrambled….
Tonight we head to sleep happy with hot chocolate, ready for the next day ahead.
Tuesday 11th July
Our morning feast of grilled sausage and tomato awoke our campers appetites and minds to the excitement that awaited them on the dodgeball court.
With sprinting, dipping, and snipes galore, morning dodgeball was another sight to behold. Whether it be a campers vs students match or the classic 1 v 1, no mercy was granted. As usual, our star-stopping campers won against the staff, and did so with smiles on their faces.
The choice of a lifetime awaited the children as they picked between their sport, adventure and creative activity, each as tempting as the last.
First on the agenda was extreme deep pool scuba-diving with the legendary Scuba Steve!! Strapped with an oxygen tank on their back and enthusiasm in their heart, our campers explored the tiled depths of Aysgarth’s waters. A first time for many, it really was an experience for them all to remember.
Our English-learners took their time in recollecting their scuba experience in English. They also began planning the recipes of their favorite food for an exciting L&E bake-off held by the children themselves. Fun and linguistic talent met in the L&E English classroom and history made as usual.
British-history was made in the morning session of cricket, with wickets flying. Led by a cricket connoisseur himself, the kids really learned the true essence of the game. Ashes fever gripped the camp and really was a magnificent set of moments for all. With a specific game of Bazz-Ball and rounders on the side.
Simultaneously, loom jewelry was in the crafting and friendship brackets in the making. Many of the children also painted jewelry boxes to hold their new-found treasures. Colour Schemes were popping!!
Lunch in their bellies, the children headed back out for their second round of fun. Our budding athletes found themselves on the football pitch, scoring goals with every step they took. It was their ‘one love’ as Bob Marley would tell us.
Famous painting recreation was happening in our art studio, with mini Picasso’s showcasing their skill. A plethora of art pieces were on show, ‘The Scream’, Pop Art, and Hokusai on offer. Some may argue that our kids adaptations were more impressive; Mike Wazowski found himself in a Banksy work!!
Wilderness instinct was awoken in our campfire starting adventure, as the kids lined the fire with rocks and kindling ready for their marshmallows arrival later that night.
Speaking of the campfire, it was unforgettable as the legend tells. With our new tutors serenading us with their no1 talents, the fire side became a safe space for new friendship to blossom and music to be shared. The children were encouraged to share their respective cultural national anthems and they adored group bonding in their own home values. We roasted marshmallows as the sun set and the night came to a close with a hot chocolate and a chat.
Here’s to another great day under the Bedale sun!!
Wednesday 12th July
Merry Wednesday everybody! There’s no such thing as a hump day here at L&E, and with the camp ablaze with excitement after last night’s campfire delights, we arose with a spring in our step to tackle the day ahead. The Webster’s dictionary defines pancakes as ‘a flat cake made of thin batter and cooked (as on a griddle) on both sides’ – but we’d describe it as the breakfast of champions, and a camp full of champions is exactly what we are. Invigorated by the energy of Nobby’s finest flat cakes, we floated onwards to dodgeball.
If tickets were available to watch the campers vs tutors dodgeball displays so far this week, they would sell out even quicker than Taylor Swift’s era tour tickets (which came out this week). Unfortunately, today was not the same. The kids may have had pancakes for breakfast but judging by their incredible dodgeball performance, they must have been full of beans!The tutors have decided to remove Kenny as their dodgeball leader, with Sam Allardyce on the next train to Aysgrath to turn the ship around.
The selection of activities this morning is best described as a smorgasbord of sheer delight. Our English class of superstars solved riddles in the great outdoors, and played a bafta award worthy board game. For the first time this week, a lucky collection of campers went on an expedition to the Yorkshire (home of the rhubarb triangle) waterways. Canoeing the name. Fun the game. For those feeling sporty, a touch of tag rugby was on the menu. And last, but most certainly not the least, is our creative class. Think Krakatoa. Think Vesuvius. Think Eyjafjallajökull Then Take everything you have ever known about volcanoes, scrunch it up and chuck it in the bin. Because what our creative students created this morning arguably eclipsed all volcanoes before. Papier Mache, sculptures around bottles of a popular carbonated soft drink, with a popular mint dropped in, formed an explosion to end all explosions.
We had chicken burgers for lunch, yet that was not the most important aspect of the hour. We had TWO birthdays to celebrate, for Annelicia and Rose. Lionel Richie was playing, happy birthday was sung and chocolate cake was devoured. It was a privilege for us all to play a part in making sure the two campers had a wonderful day.
In 1998 Gina Gee came 2nd for the United Kingdom in Eurovision. Her song featured the lyric “Just a little bit more” – and we took that exact approach to our adventure activities today! Canoe, round two, electric boogaloo. We also constructed some bracelets and jewellery in creative, and had a whale of a time playing water polo in the pool on sport.
Post dinner, lasagne Bolognese in case you were wondering, we sauntered down to the theatre for a bit of a chillax and a Disney classic. Big Hero 6 for our big bunch of hero’s, before hot chocolate and bed.
What a day. What a week. What a summer. We go again tomorrow.
Thursday 13th July
The day started with our morning fill of beans and French toast, giving much energy to our campers for the day ahead.
With our spectacular sports hall back in action, our campers wasted no time and immediately got stuck in our traditional morning game of dodgeball. Our tutors fought valiantly in the battle for victory in the most prestigious game here at L&E, but our campers were of course triumphant at last.
Our budding adventurers set off early for a morning of climbing. Courageous climbers they were, as they conquered the boulder wall in front of them in their stride.
Our imaginative artists meanwhile designed printing blocks and produced colourful prints which could give Picasso a run for his money. From Deadpool to Batman, all their artwork was lifelike and impressive.
Our aspiring linguists embarked on a quest to become Britain’s next top baker, as they followed detailed instructions from our judges to bake the most delectable cheesecakes and muffins.
Our well-loved water polo session also made a comeback, with our talented campers competing with each other for the honour of becoming the best athlete on the water.
The camp then got treated to a mouth-watering lunch of grilled chicken and cous cous. Good reviews all around and bellies filled, our campers headed to their afternoon activities.
Our athletes partook in a game of jailbreak in tennis, and ended the session in a riveting game of football.
Meanwhile our artists created the most realistic masks for our biggest event of the week – Disney theme night!
After dinner we immediately got knee deep in one of L&E’s most beloved evening activities, theme night! Tonight’s theme was Disney, with our tutors starting off with a rap battle. Our campers then continued on to playing a series of mini games, from a basketball battle with Troy and a treasure hunt, to picking out mozzarella balls from Ratatouille’s pasta and archery with Merida and Robin Hood, our campers really enjoyed their night in the world of fantasy.
With a terrific performance of Let it Go from our tutors, the Disney theme night drew to a close. Under the spell of hot chocolate, our sleeping beauties headed towards Wonderland; getting recharged and ready for another fun-packed day of adventure.
Friday 14th July
It was a cloudy day as we woke up to our final day with Nobby as our wonderful chef of the week. A nutritious breakfast of toast and eggs fuelled a competitive game of dodgeball. Once again, the campers reigned supreme, not without a spirited fight back from the tutors.
It was an enticing smorgasbord of morning activities to choose from. Campfire cooking involved making delicious choco-bananas and damper bread. Some skills were on show for indoor hockey and basketball, appropriate for the impending rain. Some more baked goods were made in English, learning the ingredients and instructions for cheesecake and cupcakes. Lastly, our musically instincts were put to the test with Just Dance and karaoke.
Nobby delighted us for lunch with an all-time British favourite in fish and chips. Seconds were definitely had! This was followed by a surprise announcement for an afternoon of team sports.
Competing for camp sporting glory were Brazil, Mexico, Thailand and Antarctica. After archery and a swim relay, Thailand came out as front runners. Meanwhile, some nail-biting games were being played out in the table football and bench-ball arenas. Thailand’s lead was narrowing. Final rounds of football, basketball and a team flag judging contest lead to a three-way tie between Thailand, Brazil and Mexico. Tie-breaking rules came into play, leading to the declaration of the champion as…..BRAZIL!!!
After free/swim time, paninis and ice cream were served followed by a standing ovation to Nobby and Michael for feeding us tasty meals all week.
Then the anticipation grew. The famed L&E Oscars Night, where legends become immortal. Black tie attire was a recommended optional, before being ushered into the theatre of dreams. There were loud cheers and applause for all nominees and award winners as well as brave performers. To cap off the night, a disco for the ages, with classics, bangers and possibly a dance floor injury or two. Get well soon Paul.
There was a lot of excitement at bedtime, partly post-Oscars buzz, partly for the day-trip tomorrow. See you soon, York.