How quickly our final full day in Castleton has come around! It was the quietest morning yet with most children having to be roused from their slumbers by the 7:15 wake up call. Pre-breakfast room inspections were the best so far: eager to earn extra points, many dormitories had planned acrobatic routines, dance moves and homemade welcome signs to greet their staff inspectors resulting in quite a few 10/10s judgements!
Fuelled up with yet another cracking Full English, groups set off on their final activities and despite the dire weather forecast, the rain held off! It was another fantastic day of varied activities but across the course of the week there have been a few stand outs: launching themselves off a bridge in abseiling, taking a dunk in the ‘lake’ during rafting; and squeezing through holes in rocks the clear favourites. It has been great to see our children in a different light this week and how they have let their lights shine in different ways: they have really challenged themselves and developed their teamwork skills. None of this could have been possible of course without the expertise of our Hollowford instructors. With patience and encouragement, they have enabled the children to push themselves out of their comfort zones all whilst giving them a great time – an unforgettable experience which I am sure will stay with the children for years to come. It was also great to hear how much the Hollowford staff had enjoyed working with our children. Group 5 reported back to us that they have been their leader’s favourite group this month- Mrs Walsh did point out however that it was only the first week in October!
After dinner tonight was our only unpleasant experience of the week – the clearing out of the drying room! I am sure you can imagine the unfortunate aroma that arises from trying to dry clothes that have been saturated in pond water. Therefore, we do apologise for any smells that emanate from the children’s suitcases upon their return! We are reluctant to leave after such a fantastic week but all eager to see our loved ones. Until tomorrow. This is Year 6 signing out from the Hollowford Centre.
