Kathryn's Winmarleigh Diary
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WYW Guides & Senior Section Get Away to Winmarleigh Hall, PGL |
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On Wednesday 10th February it snowed. On Thursday 11th February it snowed. On Friday 12th February it DIDN’T snow. How relieved was I?
I was taking a few of my Guides from 1st Sowerby Bridge on the WYW Guides Get Away Centenary Trip to Winmarleigh Hall near Preston for the weekend.
We joined around 30 other girls and leaders in Sowerby Bridge at 5.30pm on Friday evening, clambered aboard a coach and set off for an exciting and adventurous weekend. I was just glad it wasn’t snowing again.
After a few hiccups with luggage, we arrived at Winmarleigh Hall along with the other coaches that had picked up girls from Halifax, Brighouse and Todmorden.
In total there were over 200 of us. We unloaded the coaches then went to find our rooms. We then had a light supper of soup and a sandwich.
After settling down our girls and getting the lay of the land, we then retired to the leaders lounge for a well earned drink!
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Saturday morning saw us all up early and after breakfast we set off to our first activity - Archery. This was the only activity I participated in as well (yes I’m a wimp!!) I managed to get two bulls eyes and to go on a date with Justin Bieber (whoever he is!!). If you missed the bulls eye you got to go on a date with Jedward – guess I was lucky! |
We had been put in a group with some Guides from 46th Halifax Highroad Well. To start with the girls were a bit hesitant with each other but by the end of the activity were getting on like a house on fire.
Our second activity of the day was the climbing wall. The girls learnt how to put on the various harnesses that they would need for a further five activities. (You can now see why I am a wimp?) and were soon scuttling up the wall like monkeys.
Following lunch, we were once again outdoors in the bitter cold (but no snow) watching the girls don their harness again and attempt to clamber up a pole and balance on a tea tray. This was followed by a trip on a zip wire – yes where they had to put on the harness again.
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We returned to the house, warmed up, got changed and then went for tea.
Following tea we had a campfire and a disco.
At 9.00pm we all got together and after notices, some girls from Brighouse took their promise and one lucky guide received her Baden Powell Award.
Then it was off to bed, or in our case, the leaders lounge for another well earned drink.
Sunday saw us up early again, breakfast and then back outside. Luckily we still had no snow but there was a touch of frost this morning.
The first activity today was the low ropes where the girls had to get round the course. Our second activity of the morning was the trapeze. This involved putting on a harness, climbing a 22ft pole, then after balancing on the top, launching yourself at a swing. Need I say more??
After lunch we then had a team challenge. Norma Riley (the other leader in my group) took part in this with the girls – she is braver than me (but then you already know I am a wimp!!). This involved carrying a bucket of water while tied to a piece of rope around an assault course. I took the photos.
Our last activity was the parallel bars. For the last time, the girls put on a harness then climbed a tree. The parallel bars were two wooden poles fastened to two trees which the girls then walked across.
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Even though I am a wimp, many leaders did take part in some of the activities including Dawn Rogers our Senior Section Adviser, who was also part of the team who organised the event. |
After the final event, it was time to pack and load the coaches then return home to West Yorkshire West.
I would like to thank the whole team of organisers for putting on the trip.
My girls loved it!!
And it didn’t snow!
Kathryn Wilkins
1st Sowerby Bridge Guides
(8.04.2010)
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