7th February 2019 by Claire Shadbolt
Want to have a go at Archery?
Fancy improving your skills ahead of the District Archery and Shooting competition?
Want to work towards your Master at Arms badge by attending regular training sessions for at least six sessions? Or perhaps just drop in for one or two sessions.
We will be doing archery on Saturday mornings from 9:30 to 10:30 at 1st Purley HQ, Purley Park Road, CR8 2BW. £3 per session.
Book your sessions now as they are going to be popular. Limited to 12 Scouts per session.
Saturday 2 March 9:30 – 10:30
Saturday 9 March 9:30 – 10:30
Saturday 16 March 9:30 – 10:30
Saturday 23 March 9:30 – 10:30
Saturday 6 April 9:30 – 10:30
Saturday 13 April 9:30 – 10:30
To book and pay for your place. You can book anywhere between one and all sessions.
Fancy improving your skills ahead of the District Archery and Shooting competition?
Want to work towards your Master at Arms badge by attending regular training sessions for at least six sessions?
Archery Saturday mornings from 9:30 to 10:30 at 1st Purley, Purley Park Road, CR8 2BW. £3 per session.
Book your sessions now as they are going to be popular. Limited to 12 Scouts per session.
Saturday 2 March 9:30 – 10:30
Saturday 9 March 9:30 – 10:30
Saturday 16 March 9:30 – 10:30
Saturday 23 March 9:30 – 10:30
Saturday 6 April 9:30 – 10:30
Saturday 13 April 9:30 – 10:30
To book and pay for your place. You can book anywhere between one and all sessions.
29th October 2018 by Claire Shadbolt
16 Scouts from both troops went to Scarefest at Gilwell Park for the last weekend of October. It was a bitterly cold weekend, but we wrapped up warm and enjoyed ourselves. There was lots to do. During the day they went on activities such as climbing, tomahawks, bumper cars and the Cage. In the evening they went in mazes. The highlight for most Scouts was the fireworks and laser show.
Do we do it again next year?
6th August 2018 by Claire Shadbolt
Scouts from Snowdon and Scafell camped together at our 2018 summer camp.
On Saturday we drove up (took around five hours). We arrived with a nasty wind. It was a big challenge to get our event tent up. We had Scouts and adults weighing it down to prevent it taking off and other leaders storm lashing it as we went. We got it up with no incidents, just a dent in the time plan and our adrenaline.
Icelandics (patrol tents) were also a challenge to put up. Four scouts could not hold it against the wind. But with a bit of perseverance, up they went. It started raining just as we were finishing, but we kept our kit dry. After the resent scorching weather the rain was welcome. By the time we had pitched and unpacked it was dinner time. We had a wide game. Then cocoa, cake and bed.
Sunday we had a day of kayaking on the Derwent. That was good fun. Most Scouts did a capsize drill. The beauty of camp is that we have time to spend encouraging the Scouts to try new things and to develop their skills – we needed this time to persuade some of the Scouts to tip themselves in! The canoe slide was also proved a big hit for some of the Scouts. It was also a chance if a shower – for some the only shower if the week. They did have lots of opportunity to use the showers on our camp site, they just chose not to use them.
Monday we did a hike to Mam Tor and Cave Vale. It was a bit of a late start. There was no real reason for it, just getting into the swing of doing all the tasks needed to successfully and comfortably camp. The hike went well, slightly slower than planned. The views at the top were amazing. And we managed to get one leader to his train on time as he was back to work the next day (so now there were three leaders). But we were eating our fish and chips a bit later than predicted.
Tuesday was our big ticket day. We went ghyll scrambling from Snake Road towards Kinder Scout with Lost Earth Adventures. The scouts loved it. There were lots of smiles. Whilst waiting for others to climb a waterfall at the base of Kinder Scout, in order to make sure the Scouts did not get cold, Claire was leading a rendition of “Hamburger, cheese burger, lettuce and tomato” camp fire song, with all the actions, minus the half jump. The bizarre things you do as a leader.
Tuesday evening we had a patrol cooking competition. They got to plan their meal, buy the food and cook it on a double gas burner in specially constructed field kitchens. We must allow space for more of this in the future. The Scouts got so much out of this. Not only learning how to feed themselves in conditions more challenging than your average kitchen, but they were also having a lot of fun with it. For at least one scout this was the highlight of the week. Both patrols produced some interesting food.
Wednesday we stayed on site and did pioneering. One scout said it was his favourite thing of the week. We built a tower using ropes and poles and hauled it up using a pulley.
On Thursday we went kayaking on the river Trent. All the Scouts improved their paddling technique with the majority actually understanding what they were doing. We also had the incident that will be regaled in stories for a long time – Swangate.
We had passed many, many swans on the river. Some were getting huffy and we made sure we gave them a wide berth. Those swans were happy with that. But Mr Swan was the Gandalf of the swan world, “Thou shall not pass”. Tony was the first to encounter him as he came round a bend. He and the scout that was near to him had to paddle back up stream to get out of the way and we all huddled in an eddy working out a plan. Mr Swan would sit in the middle of the river with his wings half up and giving us the evil eye, then he would glide over into the big reed bed at one side of the river, as Mrs Swan and two cygnets appeared from behind the bend on the other side of the river and glided over to her mate, Mr Swan crossed the river again, glaring and being assertive. This happened a number of times – we just had a pattern of criss-crossing of swans. Tony waited for an opportune moment then paddled through, but Mr Swan was not happy. He chased him down the river, including taking off from the water, which always looks and sounds dramatic, heading straight for Tony. However once he got past the territory, Mr Swan was happy for Tony to wait there so long as he did not venture in again. But Tony’s card was marked. He was now most hated human. The rest of us (eight scouts, Graham and Claire) were stuck. We had a few attempts at passing but were seen off. We could not get out the river where we were, it was a long way for the Scouts to paddle against the flow to safely egress from the river, we had to go forward, but…Thou shall not pass! Eventually we decided to attempt two at a time. We waited until all swans were out of sight and Claire paddled forward with one scout. Mr Swan was not best pleased and kept a close eye on them, all Claire could hear was “Just keep paddling!” and they got through. Now Graham had to do the planning on his own. We could shout but we did not wish to disturb the Swan family any further and the two at a time plan was abandoned. In the end Graham led a quick attempt to keep the bank and paddle down swiftly. The scouts were a bit like rubber ducks in a bath bumping into each other and Mr Swan didn’t know what to do as the Scouts passed his territory. But we did get passed and Mr Swan’s family were all safe, much to Mr Swan’s relief. It did mean a late end to another day.
Then Friday was all about packing up and going home. We were on the road within 40 minutes of the time we aimed for. But the drive back took 6:30 hours in the blazing heat.
We ate well. We had curry, pork chops with ratatouille, fish and chips, patrol cooking (mainly pasta), risotto and stir fry. We were also overwhelmed with cakes. It is a lovely problem to work out how to eat them all.
The Scouts were a pleasure to take away. They enjoyed the activities, the camping and the friendships. They also learnt loads. We are already looking forward to the next camp.
7th July 2018 by Claire Shadbolt
Scafell troop entered three canoes into Croydon District (Scouts) Cardboard Canoe competition.
Our designs may not have been as brilliant as some of the other troops. But they are the Scouts designs. Plus we did manage to clash one of our build days with an England World Cup match.
The Scouts had fun designing, building and trying out their canoes. #skillsforlife
8th August 2017 by Claire Shadbolt
Scafell troop have returned from our adventurous camp at Downe, August 2017.
Nine scouts, three young leaders and four adult leaders camped for two nights. For three of the scouts it was their first night away with scouts, and one further it was his first night under canvas.
Friday evening was spent pitching the tents. We had a quick supper and then the scouts were out to play a wide game – German spotlight (it is their firm favourite).
Most teenagers sleep in on a Saturday morning, but not this lot. Some were awake at 5:30 and one tent were shouting at a spider at 6:30. At least it meant they could prepare breakfast at a leisurely pace.
Wood was gathered. Fires were lit. And once the fires were ready for cooking they started on their sausages, bacon and eggs. Both patrols worked well and they were all happy cooking their breakfasts.
Late morning were were off to the zip wire. Some were a little nervous but they all jumped off without any hesitation. All the scouts had at least two trips down the zip wire.
Then back to our site to cook lunch – pizza pita bread. We just about got them heated when the heavens opened. Scouts tucked into their lunches in various places around the camp, sheltering from the thunder storm. It passed just before our next activity. We were very fortunate.
Then were were off to tomahawks. All the scouts and young leaders threw flying angel axes. These had three points where it could stick into the target. Although one scout somehow managed to get the handle of the axe to stick into the target – that was some skill, or was it luck? We had a competition and Aiden managed to get the most axes on target. Well done Aiden. They all had a go at the heavier tomahawks. Most found the angels easier to throw.
Then back to camp to collect more wood and cook our evening meal of chicken curry and steamed pudding. Some of them found it a challenge to follow the recipe. It is not the same as at home where you have a nice clean large area to prepare food or a hob that you can turn up and down. They all successfully cooked a lovely meal.
Then off to a campfire. Curtis Maddy and Caitlin led us in campfire songs with lots of giggles and a few wiggles.
We had another wide game – back by popular request was German spotlight.
We finished the evening with hot chocolate. There were a few tired scouts by then. Some of them had only had around five hours sleep the night before and they had been on the go all day.
Sunday morning was a later start. By 8am all the fires were lit and they were on their way to prepare breakfast.
By late morning we were at crate stacking. There were lots of laughs when they fell off. We also invested a scout ten foot in the air.
Then lunch, clean up and strike camp. We still managed to get in a long game of Frisbee before parents arrived to collect.
There was one scout who shined throughout the camp and was awarded scout of the camp. Congratulations to Stavroula. Every time we looked over at her patrol she was collecting wood, or chopping food, or straightening her tent. She cheerfully got on with all the tasks. It was her first night away with the scouts. It certainly did not seem like that at camp.
Thank you to those who made the camp happen – Claire, Bobby, Jordan and Anneka along with our three young leaders and all those who supported in other ways such as loading or unloading the van.
On Saturday 5 August Scafell troop welcomed our newest scout into the world wide family of scouts, 10 foot in the air, whilst on top of a load of crates.
The scout said her promise and was invested by her patrol leader, whilst clinging onto each other and the rope. They were safely harnessed in. They tested the harnesses a few crates later when it all came tumbling down.
The scouts were at scout camp at Downe.
7th April 2017 by Claire Shadbolt
“That was so much fun” said one scout as they left the climbing room and moved into the caving room.
“Who is going to be the zombie this time?” Is met with a chorus of “Me!”. The rest of the scouts get a 30 second head start into the caving system and then the zombie goes in to catch them and turns them into zombies. All the scouts loved it, even the ones that were worried about feeling claustrophobic.
We want to say a massive thank you to the staff at Craggy Island. They were fantastic with the scouts plus they were a real help with our “little problem”.
Talking of “little problem”, I am sorry we were late back. As we were leaving the key got stuck in the door of the minibus. We were locked out of it. Plus we could not have driven it without the key. The staff were amazing trying to help us free the key. In the end persistence paid off and our ex-scout/explorer Joe patiently freed the key – we are looking forward to him returning as a young leader.
Every scout enjoyed themselves. They were well behaved and not phased by the “little problem”. We just had an impromptu game of splat whilst Joe worked his magic.
11th July 2016 by Claire Shadbolt
What a great day!
Dockland Scout Project is an amazing project. They are in the scenic location of Docklands. They own the Lord Amory ship that sleeps 60 people. They have a full compliment of volunteers who staff the activities every week on a rota and have volunteers from all over the UK.
Five scouts from Scafell troop went on an adventure on 10 July to Docklands.
The activities we did on Saturday were rowing (pulling), bell boating, sailing and kayaking. Each of the activities was around an hour long. The instructors (volunteers) were excellent and really made it fun. Half the time the scouts were unaware that they were learning things.
How did you get invested as a scout? For Scafell’s newest Scout is was half way up a climbing wall at Frylands.
29th April 2016 by Claire Shadbolt
“Shall I tell you the name of the Bridleway? I am walking over to to read it. It says, “Permissive Bridleway.”
On a cold April morning, five brave scouts embark on an expedition to walk to Biggin Hill and back.
We started off by walking 5 minutes to Addiscombe to buy food supplies for the weekend. We will overlook that they blew the budget by 50%. We can return to keeping in budget for another event.
Next step – they are off, walking, by themselves for 13.5 miles. Photographic evidence seems to suggest that actually they went to the closest sweet shop and bought another load of supplies – energy drinks and sweets. It kept them all in good spirit.
They were running a bit late for their first checkpoint, so the leaders checked in on them using mobile phones. They had strayed off course. It was a challenge to work out where they were when they did not know and the mobile coverage was poor. That is the time of the famous quote, “Shall I tell you the name of the Bridleway? I am walking over to to read it. It says, “Permissive Bridleway”. He now knows that a permissive bridleway is a bridle way (which could be for walkers, riders, cyclists, or any combination) whose use is allowed by the landowner.
We collected them from outskirts of New Addington and put them back on the right path. Only for them to stray again an hour later. So they were collected again and put back on the path again. This time they made it. They walk all the way to Waylands Campsite which is to the east of Biggin Hill.
Once they arrive at camp they put up their hike tents – thank you Jack Petchey Foundation for funding them. Then they started cooking their evening meal. They soon discovered that cooking on Triangias was hard work. They still managed to produce a lovely meal of chicken stirfry with noodles and wash up. By which stage is was quite late, so they elected to skip dessert (cake) and supper (they had only just finished eating) and went to find the other group camping to enjoy a bit of their campfire.
Sunday morning started very cold with ice on all the tents. The scouts managed to take around two hours to cook some bacon and then they were off again. This time they did pretty well with navigation, but they were very much behind time. At one stage they were walking 2km per hour. So we did have to cut it short and drive them home.
At the time of writing the scouts have still to draft their reports and conclude their task on comparing the litter in a rural or urban area.
They had a great time and we are looking forward to their reports.
10th April 2016 by Claire Shadbolt
Five scouts from 28th Croydon and dozens of over scouts from other troops simulated a survival situation Pinewood Scout Centre on 9 April 2016.
The morning we spent brushing up our skills that would help us in a survival situation. Ask one of them what way is north just by looking at a mossy tree and they will tell you. Plus they may show you their spoons that they whittled themselves.
Then they had to survive for 24 hours.
Before we knew it, the shelters were built, their fire pits were going and they were butchering a rabbit for dinner. The challenging bit was the night. It was very cold. At one stage it was minus one degrees. So some of them warmed up around the fire in the middle of the night.
In the morning the scouts had to cross a “raging river” just using a rope. They got enough over and successfully earnt their fish for lunch. They gutted and prepared the fish. Wrapped it in wet newspapers and cooked it on their fires.
The end was in site. The parents were on their way. All they had to do was signal them. So they built a smoke signal which could be seen for miles and they were rescued hurrah!
What was the best bit? Most of them said, “Fire”. Some said, “Meeting new people”.
What was the worst bit? “Someone following me around with a camera.” See if you can guess who said that from the photos below.
13th December 2015 by Claire Shadbolt
On a dark, dark night, a group of scouts crossed London whilst the Friday night commuters picked their way passed the big rucksacks. They were on their way to Gilwell Park – the home of scouting.
Gilwell was filled with ghosts, goblins, wear wolves and witches on this last weekend in October. Some of them were from our own troop.
The monsters took part in spooky mazes, scary tricks and more normal activities such as climbing Jacobs ladder. Halloween was topped off with an amazing firework and laser show.
By the Sunday our scouts resembled zombies as they made their way back home, still smeared in fake blood, coloured hair and other weird things.