Summer Camp 2024

 Yes I did indeed manage to get away last week to something that is very much like a summer camp but for adults (in law) doing things that you loved back then as if by magic you'd gone back in time and where there's nothing remotely "adult" going on.

I past years I've written more chronological journal entries but I think it may work better to look more at  themes to which the start point was Jennifer and Katie took a minor detour to drop by picking me up in person before setting out to the Lakes stopping at some photogenic points such as by the grounds of Stonyhurst College (and St Mary's Pre-Prep and Prep school), near the Ribble Valley overhead viaduct along the Settle-Carlisle Line and Whalley Abbey for a spot of lunch.

That proved interesting as it didn't accept Money as in traditional notes and coins of the realm so one of two available credit cards stepped in.

Bring back money, I say!

I did get out, seeing our postman and in the shoppe very much as me (or at least another presentation of me as I can and do Tom Boy as well as not a few girls actually are like) and having partaken of a chicken with salad and tasty vegetable rice, Katie generously shared.
 

We did two Jigsaws or more accurately completed one and were about three quarters through another between us plus a number completed a lego set.

We played rounders one afternoon in teams batting and fielding which was rather fun and a tradition mixed events sports day with bean bag target, egg & spoon race and water relay race amongst other things set in two teams Blue and Red.

I had a green top and white skort on which works for me.

There were a few "makes" such as baking cakes of various sorts such as Carrot, Cheesy Scones, Cup Cakes and chocolate chip cookies which Alice and I made which were shared after extra decorating.

We also made houses out of cardboard tape or gluing precut sections before fitting such things as doors and windows, a patio and in one instance even its very own helipad.

They came out quite well really.

There was a story time but with a difference which was we were given three (I think) introductory paragraphs giving us the people, the situation and an outcome but we had to write and say it out in turns in real time!

Jillian run a general knowledge and name the famous actress quiz which our team The, Staffordshire Three, came second. 

We did have a Charades session on Thursday before getting back for the next day.

Food was interesting in that we had hand made Devon Pasties a 5kg Gammon that provided two and  bit days of ham after a good boiling with salad and a variety of baps/buns and slice breads.

For one evening we held a diy b-bq with farm beef burgers,  sausages and some cheesy thing that can be heated but as a non cheese person I can't say much about how that turned out and on another we submitted and two persons kindly collected a fish and chips order (with the odd variation) which I can as the cod I had was delicious.

Getting back proved something of an ordeal as after relatively minor traffic issues, all hell broke loose between junctions 24 and 21a around South west Lancs when things stalled for what seemed like ages and the attempt to get off to drop me of had a bizarre series of roadworks that near enough two essential towns off  and further along yet more issues with accidents and lord knows what.

You know you're but a few miles off and yet you just can't get there.

Thanks to Iris and Mary for organizing things and everyone who held an event or did things to make this fun, safe event highly enjoyable.