Monday

Having accumulated enough bags in the school hall to fill several fleets of coaches, it was time to pack our coach and get on with the journey. The anticipated tearful farewell never materialised and it was left to the children to ask several thousands of questions, all related to “Are we there yet?”

Amotherby, Swinton, Thirsk, Bedale and Leyburn were all confused with Askrigg at various points throughout the journey before we eventually arrived at Low Mill just before midday. Lunch was swiftly followed by the dreaded Bed-Making Ritual, surely one of the Labours of Hercules …..

Making beds? Or making fools of ourselves?

Lorna training for her future career as a matador.	Bob looking suitably confused.
Miss Tattershall settling down with her best friend.	Thistle & Runscar: first boys’ dorm with beds made! Well done to Daniel, Tom, Peter, Craig, Josh and Jarred (not pictured)!
Playing Hide and Seek with duvet covers in Thistle & Runscar dormitory.	… and after the exertions of making our beds, it’s up to the lounge for a spot of lunch before the afternoon walk.

The Afternoon Walk (+ other exciting happenings)

A more motley crew you could never hope to meet. Wensleydale could never have been ready for the onslaught.	Malton’s next generation of horticulturalists examine a fascinating specimen of Askrigg tree.
The Christmas production of ‘Swan Lake’ has got off to an enthusiastic start.	Alex, Bob and Elly all came extremely close to losing items of footwear in this quagmire. How we laughed …..
Hungry people. Like the Village People without the leather.	Eagerly awaiting the fishcakes, spaghetti hoops and chips. With crumble and custard to follow. Mmmm.
I’m told this is a rare sighting of an unusual natural phenomenon. Alex earning his keep.	Adam deciding whether or not to lasso the last portion of crumble or just vacuum the carpet.

So, that’s Day One taken care of …..

After the deluge of the first day at East Barnby, the Yorkshire weather has been extremely kind to us all today. Blue skies and fantastic views have followed us around, certainly on the afternoon walk. The Night Drop provided some nocturnal excitement, the children being dropped two miles away from Low Mill with a member of staff and navigating their way back to the centre with a map and no small amount of courage and determination. For many, this was their first taste of a night walk and all the children really enjoyed the experience. In one way or another!

After returning to the centre and having supper, we shared the messages that had been left on the website by several people – ending the evening on a pleasant note.

Once again, the children have been great ambassadors for the school; they have behaved well and taken part in their activities with enthusiasm and determination. Special mention must go to one or two people who were feeling particularly tired on the Night Walk but carried on regardless – a fighting spirit is evident in Wensleydale!

Tomorrow takes us into our first day proper and more strenuous activities such as climbing, caving, gorge walking, zip-wiring, orienteering and abseiling. Expect more action-packed photos and witty dialogue when you check back tomorrow night. It is at this point that we must thank Mr Kelly for the hard work he has done in preparing the pages for this website so that we can just add images and text from Low Mill (and still not get it right the first time!). It’s now 11:19 and everyone’s fast asleep (apart from Mr Beadnall who still needs to keep typing … ) so it’s time to put Day One to bed. We hope you have enjoyed this first instalment of what seems destined to become an epic tale of endurance, bravery and fishcakes.

Don't forget to keep leaving messages on our guest book. Just follow the link from the first page.

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