Wednesday and Thursday

I had naively thought that we would find the time to keep everyone up to date, at least on a daily basis, but we were a bit busy! Where did the time go? A residential week with our children is a full-on experience, 24/7 for all concerned, but it really is fun. We are already talking about next year. Of course the weather has helped, but the facilities and the staff made it work so that there really wasn't a minute with nothing to do.

So, back to the programme. On Wednesday the Badgers went way up onto the moors for a walk along an abandoned railway track in the Goyt Valley. It was dead flat on the trackway, but the land rose and fell around us in a remarkable way, so it felt more challenging than it was. Some of us were really challenged on the return trip, because we took one of (the instructor) Phil's short cuts. He seems to ignore the fact that a straight line on a map may be the shortest route, but those little lines that crowd around you are contours. You might go up and down further than you go along! We survived. On the way we saw curlews, lapwings, skylarks and green butterflies (green hairstreaks) on the blue berry flowers.

At the same time the Foxes went down an old, 17th C. lead mine that closed in the 1930s. It still had pumps, cables and other equipment down it. All of the group rose to the challenge of a tour underground, wearing all the proper caving equipment. In the afternoon, they did something even more spectacular; they jumped 75 feet (yes, 225o cms) off a railway viaduct! They had a rope or two attached to them, but, essentially they jumped off a bridge and landed safely, and they would do it again.

The Badgers went to a much bigger, spectacular cave at Buxton, where they saw huge stalactites and weird formations. Poole's Cavern is a popular show-cave with very few steps, but it is fairly unspoilt. We had a realistic caving experience due to Phil's other tendency, which is to save electricity by turning the lights out.

Those who were still awake after nine went on a night walk round the village, watching bats and freaking out the natives.

Thursday was just as spectacular. We knew what canoeing meant, but wondered what "weaseling" was. It turned out to be clambering around in crevices between layers of Jurassic limestone, often in cracks only a foot wide. So now you know too.

We all went canoeing on a lake in Chatsworth estate. In the morning, Leroy fell in, but in the afternoon, almost everyone fell in; or were they pushed? Needless to say, they all had a good time. Water just gets you wet, and you were already wet from splashing anyway!

Our last night was a spectacular birthday for Beckie, which involved a disco, cake and all the trimmings.

Back to school tomorrow!