Once he got over the initial shock, Akela, who keeps his skills of tact and diplomacy well hidden, none the less managed to charm the Seacat Stewardesses and negotiate a workable solution. By 9.30pm, we had dispatched Leo and Kate (aka Jamie and Pamela) with a now unloaded 10th minibus to rendezvous with the Liverpool boat with (empty) promises of a luxury cabin and a cooked breakfast, been joined by reinforcements (Jonathan and girlfriend Sharon, who had packed at lightning speed and been deposited at the terminal by Dad, ADC John, with a screech of tyres and smell of burning rubber), had loaded all of our gear into an Ulsterbus and were on our way to Larne to connect with the 11.00pm P&O sailing to Cairnryan. 1.00am and the Cubs were to be found reclining comfortably in an air-conditioned coach which had met us on the quayside while the servants (Richard and David) stood outside in the pouring rain lugging everyone’s gear from the boat to the coach. After a brief stop at a motorway service station, we arrived in Carnforth at 4.30a.m unable to raise base camp by field radio (Carolyn and Fiona could not get signals on their mobiles!). Our coach came to a halt under the cover of darkness unable to negotiate the narrowing country lanes, and we dispatched Richard (without a torch) to find the campsite. Unknown to us, Richard was forced to embark on a several mile hike but just as our driver was threatening to leave us at the roadside in the cold pre-dawn drizzle and we were debating sending out a search party, Richard returned with Fiona in our newly acquired English reg minibus to transport us to base camp. What an adventure…inevitably the troops were up and raring to go again by 8.00am on Sunday morning which was more than could be said of the weary generals!

Activities during the week included a ‘guest appearance’ by our lot at the Southern Lakes Wild Animal Park, a trip down a very cold underground cave at White Scar in Ingleton, a stretch in the cells at Lancaster Castle Prison and the customary ablutions in the local swimming pools. We were particularly impressed by the pool at Salt-Ayre Leisure Centre in Lancaster which boasted a drawbridge style, electronic moving floor!! We also spent a wet night in Morecambe, seeking sanctuary in the amusement arcades and souvenir shops (some Cubs had to be dragged away from the posters on sale) before venturing out in the drizzle for the obligatory photo-call around the aptly named ‘Eric Morecambe Bring Me Sunshine’ statue. Mid-week we travelled by train to Manchester to visit Old Trafford and tour the Stadium. Unfortunately Becks, Giggsy and co. heard we were coming and legged it to Blackburn supposedly to play a match later that day! Johnny also saw quite a bit more of Lancaster Royal Infirmary than the rest of us did, having tripped on a stone and fractured two of his fingers on the second night! Well at least it didn’t happen to one of the Cubs!!

The was also an opportunity for a trip from Haverwaithe to Lakeside by steam-train, a tour of the Aquarium of the Lakes and a chance to meet the otters before cruising on our own private yacht on Lake Windermere (the public ferry was over-packed so the company chartered an extra one just for us!) to Bowness for an afternoon of canoeing and kayaking at Windermere Outdoor Adventure. Some of the seniors also tried their hand at wind-surfing for the first time. Another first for East’s Cubs was a visit to Leighton Hall to watch a flying display of rather fierce looking birds of prey and meet the falconer. (Un)fortunately Akela, dozing in the afternoon sun in an attempt to recover from our overnight journey, wakened just before Pamela could scatter the meat filling from her sandwich on his chest to tempt the birds!! Afterwards we were taken inside for a tour of Leighton Hall.. now would you be brave enough to let two dozen Cubs loose in a stately home??? Since our return thankfully no one has lifted the ‘phone to say the family silver is missing or someone has doodled on the portrait of their Great Uncle Albert!!

Silverhelme campsite also lent itself readily to all sorts of outdoor activities. Set in woodland, the site was teeming with frogs, toads, bats and all manner of repulsive beasties intent on keeping Cubs awake at night. Undeterred, all of the Cubs spent at least one night under canvas and many managed to complete their Camper badge. We also cooked several meals outdoors including French Toast for breakfast and a backwoods lunch. Sunday dinner was a much grander affair: a full two course dinner of mince, potatoes and carrots followed by cake and custard. Move over the Rankins, Pamela and David (complete with swimming goggles to ward off the smoke) could be the next cookery sensation to come out of Ulster, with tender mince and vegetables cooked to perfection and precision timing and served with piping hot gravy. Meanwhile in the blue kitchen Jamie (Oliver – I don’t think so) was dishing out burnt mince and crunchie carrots while Fiona in the Red kitchen was protesting that Richard had sabotaged their group by leaving an inch of water in the bottom of the oil drum that served as the altar fire and making off with all the saucepan lids. Shame!!! The seniors also had an opportunity to undertake a night-time assault course and build and sleep out in a shelter mid-week, due to ample insulation with plastic sheeting this proved to be much warmer than the icelandic tent the juniors were in that night.

Our theme for the week was Survivor, complete with inter-tribe competitions and immunity challenges and the chance to vote some one off the tribe each evening at the tribal council. By Thursday only two tribesmen were left from each tribe and they entered the ‘Big Brother’ tent for the grand finale facing an number of gruelling challenges before each eviction vote. These included messy games with syrup and jelly babies, feats of strength and of course chubby bunnies. Well done to our eventual winner, Paul from 10th.

During the camp there was an opportunity for a lot of badge-work with many of the boys finishing cook, home help and camper badges. We also attempted the scientist badge which necessitated the growing of coloured crystals, and beans, making electrical circuits and periscopes and demonstrating why candles need air to burn and how red cabbage goes a funny blue colour if you add washing soda crystals! Nurse Pamela also showed the Cubs how to investigate what happens to your pulse after exercise and we discovered what an unhealthy lot they all were, especially the ones who couldn’t even find a pulse to start with!!! Congratulations to Ross Clark and Paul McConnell who won the respective 30th and 10th Cub of the Camp Shields.

After getting to know the Hall and the Park the boys settled into a game of football while some of the Leaders went off to the local Tesco. Three trolley loads later they emerged looking dishevelled and fraught. The evening passed uneventfully with only the excitement of tomorrow keeping the Cubs awake.

Good Friday morning and we were up bright and early to a wet London day. That was not going to dampen out spirits and we got ready and headed off to Chessington World of Adventure, and adventure it was. Having been tossed at 4.5 G upside down on the samurai, soaked on the log flume and catapulted through the air on the runaway train it was time for lunch. Feeling refreshed and fed we set off to see the animals in the Zoo part of the park. We saw Tigers, Lions and a Panther, some sea lions and some apes (oh they were the Cubs). Having been thoroughly stomach settled it was time for the rides again.

The afternoon was spent getting wet, thrown through the air, turned upside down and generally put into positions I am sure the body is not intended to be in! We left the park at 5pm and had an hour’s drive back to base. Dinner was followed by a game of football and for the first time ever 13 Cubs asking to go to bed early at Camp.

Easter Sunday following Cubs Own we set off for a day sightseeing in the Capital. We first went to visit the Imperial War Museum, where the boys got to experience things like being in the trenches and being in an air-raid shelter when the bombs were going off. This is a great place with lots of interesting things to do and see and 3 hours just was not long enough to stay. We left there for our sightseeing trip of the City having spotted a Car Park big enough for the Minibus and the Car we drove around London 3 times trying to find the entrance. Having found the entrance we parked the Minibus and the Car and headed off past the London Eye and over the bridge past the Houses of Parliament, the Cenotaph, Horse Guards Parade, Number 10, Whitehall, The War Office etc. and onto Leicester Square, via Trafalgar Square. Lunch was KFC sitting in the park at Leicester Square watching the world go by. After lunch we set off to Covent Garden to see the street entertainers, they were great and the boys enjoyed the show.

On the way back to the bus we went up the Mall to Buckingham Palace and this trip was interrupted by the thunder and lighting which descended upon our heads. Walking up the Mall we saw the Queen’s Flight hovering over Buckingham Palace. It was a long way back to the bus and we were getting wet, so in true Scouting style we started to sing, much to the amusement of the London tourists who thought we were from another planet and we said NO, just from Northern Ireland. A long wet journey saw us back at Base and having our dinner at about 7.45pm. Camp Fire followed dinner which followed another early night. Cubs just aren’t made of what they used to be!

Easter Monday was our last full day in London and our plans for canoeing in the Thames Valley were wiped out by all the rain that had fallen. We did go and visit the new Wokingham Water Centre where we presented a canoe on behalf of System Displays Limited to the Centre and the local press came along and took our photo etc. After this we headed for an afternoon of relaxation in the local activity swimming pool. The boys enjoyed this free-time and the leaders enjoyed the wash! We had an early dinner and started the grim task of trying to pack everything back into the Rucksacks. Following this we had a great last Camp Fire with lots of songs and the local DC came to visit and join in. The last night of Camp was no different from any others and the boys all went to bed early. Tuesday morning was spent doing the final packing, clearing the hall and having a last walk around the park. Our Train back to Gatwick was at 1:43pm and when we arrived in Gatwick we got rid of the bags and the boys went to spend the last of their pocket money. The flight home was again uneventful and the boys were all placed back in the arms of their Parents at the doors to the Airport and the leaders all went home – for an early night.

Quotes of the Camp:

“There is something not right about this” – When a Cub experienced being pushed into his seat by take off for the first time.