P7trip

Thursday - Last Day!!

Well, here we are all at home again after our trip.

Thursday was a great day - if not quite long with the bus journey to finish it off! The day started a little damp but by the time we had had breakfast and got ready for activity 1 the day was looking great! The loch was flat calm - and just ideal for Kayaking! Two groups started off with problem solving and headed off into the woods to take part in a diverse range of activities that would baffle and challenge them while developing good team working skills!

The kayakers got kitted out....wet clothes, waterproofs, life jacket and paddle! They headed off to the beach with their instructor and played some games and went over the basics of using the paddle tohelp them powere the kayak. This is different from canoeing and involved a different technique.

Once they were on the water they headed down the loch towards the end of the loch where the River Spey continues its journey. THey were heading for the bridge and the island beyond the bridge. The conditions were ideal and I watched them work down the lochbefore setting off on a bike to meet tham and film them at the bridge.

The children were really enjoying this activity and were very proficient. They easily made it to the bridge and headed off doen the river to the island. I waited and they soon started to make their way back up stream towards the loch.

Having seen both groups I headed back to the Boathouse and enjoyed a sneaky Latte while the groups made their way back up the loch to have lunch.

Lunch was in the boathouse and included soup, sausage rolls, fruit and juice. The children enjoyed this and enjoyed the chance of sitting on the balcony overlooking the loch in the sunshine. We had a trip back up the stairs to the hall to get ready for the afternoon and then were back for more of the same in the afternoon. Two groups went problem solving again while the other two got the opportunity to go kayaking.

One group of kayakers went down the loch again to the bridge while the other group went up loch and visited some of the bays further up the loch and the 'haunted house'!

The bus arrived at the back of three and I helped the driver pack the bags in the boot. The children eventually made it back up the stairs for the last time and because the driver needed a break we decided to have our tea before we left as the children were hungry. We set off at 4.30 and made it to Strichen by about 7.15. The Longside pupils and staff continued to Longside and made it haome safe and sound.

Overall we had a GREAT week. We hope the children enjoyed it. The staff certainly did and we look forward to making it back next year if we can. The children were great all week and really did represent both schools well! Their behaviour was commented on by staff at the centre and it is always nice to have their hard work and effort recognised.

We hope you have enjoyed reading the blog and seeing the photos each day and that it helps give you a flavour of what they do on the trip!

Thanks

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Day 3 - Part 2

It is now 11.30 pm and the children are finally falling off to sleep! The last  night is always difficult and this year was no different! After our tea……pizza and chips and salad……followed by pancakes with ice cream and sauce we set off to get ready for our last activity of the day! The Wide Game!

 Due to us running late the instructors came and found us and I thought at least we do not have the disco to ‘survive’! So off we set…..wet shoes, dirty clothes and all to the wooded area across from the hall! The pupils were split into two groups and had the task of trying to rob the other team of their treasure while defending their own while having marker tape on their shoulders that could be stolen and taken back to base. They had a set area to play within – and this included so wet, marshy, boggy ground and some had no qualms about running through this to evade capture or to help get the tape for their team!

 The wooded are was so picturesque…..and would have been ideal for a lovely nature walk to calm everyone down! Not so! Mayhem ensued as hoards of children rampaged about trying to evade capture or trying to get the treasure for their team! However, they had great fun and really enjoyed the chance to have a bit of a run about in their groups!

 After surviving an hour or so of this and the kids now being high the instructors took great delight in saying, ‘Right, that’s us finished - back to you now!!’

 While in the woods we took some whole group photos and went then back to get changed. We caught the end of the disco and then they were presented with their certificates by he instructors. The evening finished off with a screening of a video of their week taken by the instructors over the week. The kids loved watching it and it really showed us the range of activities covered and the fun that everyone had!

 One day left! Today we have problem solving and kayaking to do. Two groups have kayaking in the afternoon and this is not ideal – but we will just have to give it a go!

 Photos from Wednesday can be seen below and photos from Thursday will appear at some point over the weekend!

 We hope to make copies of the DVD for everyone over the next couple of weeks! It is well worth viewing!

 Anyway, we look forward to our last day and seeing you  later on in the day!

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Loch Insh Day 3

Loch Insh Day 3 As the week goes on it becomes more difficult to get up! However, an early start again to make sure we are all ready before the children are up! The loch and hills were shrouded in mist and it looked lovely and peaceful! I went and took some photos down by the loch and it was lovely! The children were woken up at 7.30 and had 50 minutes to get dressed and read for breakfast! We did the juice so that we would be ready to get going as soon as we were back from breakfast! I think we climbed the steps up and down to the boathouse 5 or 6 times which equated to about 700-800 steps! This doesn't even include the effort for doing all the activities! All in all it has been a very ACTIVE few days! Breakfast was a little slicker today as the children knew the routine and knew what they had to do! It was encouraging to see them again having a heart breakfast! Today's activities were skiing and Canadian canoeing! The group canoeing in the morning had great conditions for this! The loch was very calm and there was little wind! The groups got kitted out in their waterproofs and added a helmet, life jacket and paddle to get them ready for the off! The instructors went over the safety issues and then gave them training for using the paddle correctly and how the three people in each canoe would have to work together to be able to canoe successfully! They then got into their canoes and were off to get used to the feeling of being in a canoe. Once everyone was happy they were off! They set off down the loch and the aim was to circumnavigate the island at the bottom of the loch! This is the island with the osprey's nest! I had intended to take a bike to meet them at the bridge to film them their but as the morning went on the wind got up and they decided not to head down the river as they would have to canoe back up against the flow which is difficult in the wind. So, I hitched a ride in the speed boat and we set off to see how they were getting on! Just as we arrived at where they were they were sitting watching the osprey circling it's nest with a fish in it's talons! Amazingly enough the osprey was being dived by the local crows who obviously had their eye on the fish! We left them to it and sped back the the boat house on the speed boat? They were having a great time and were really enjoying it. The other two groups were on the ski slope! They started off by TRYING to get their ski boots on which is not the easiest thing to do - especially if you have not been skiing before! They then got their helmet and gloves before being given a pair of skis. They then hit the slope! They worked through a range of warm up activities and activites to go over the basics of skiing! However, soon they had to take the plunge and go a little bit up the hill and give it a try! We were amazed how each group, including the afternoon groups, took to this and were prepared to persevere and give it a go! As time went on they got higher and higher up the slope and some were showing excellent skills and were confidently 'flying' down the slope! Some gave it a good go and then decided they had had enough and watched the others and encouraged them to go higher, faster and be more daring! There were a few tumbles, but nothing drastic and they kept going back for more! By the end some were trying to see if they could go fast enough to travel the complete length of the slope and hit the padded fence at the end! The afternoon was swapped over and the groups did the other activity. The canoeists had more tricky conditions to deal with and they were not going to head for the island. One group made it to the lagoons and really took part in some extreme canoeing and had to navigate through narrow, shallow channels! The second group headed up the loch and by the time they got up their they knew they would be coming back down stream which would be a lot easier! Of course some 'fell' in - although this was more deliberate than accidental! The two groups who did not get to the shop yesterda got today and made sure they could spend as much of their £10 as they could! Who said we were not doing Maths this week! We are now heading off for tea! We have an activity tonight but are not quite sure what it entails! We will reveal all tomorrow! We will get the end of the disco and then they will be presented with their certificates! Look out tomorrow for photos from today! More updates tomorrow! PS It was great to get our last pupil with us today who had been off ill! He arrived this morning and managed to do a little skiing before canoeing in the afternoon!!

Day 2! 2 to go!

 An early start today – it’s amazing how being somewhere different makes you wake up far earlier than normal! The first thing you noticed was that the ground was wet and it had obviously been raining through the night. This is preferable to rain during the day and we were keeping our fingers crossed that it would remain dry during the day. There was a nip in the air but it was quite still. The mist was covering the hills in the distance and it looked like that it would clear as the morning wore on.

 The majority of the children were still fast asleep when they were wakened around 7.30am. Having the later breakfast slot is great as it means you get to have a longer lie! Everyone was wakened and they had to get themselves organised and dressed and their rooms tidied before heading off for breakfast down at the boat house. The juice bottles were all filled in preparation for the morning activity and then we set off with our lunch boxes to the restaurant for breakfast! The chill in the air seemed to waken everyone properly and on entering the Boat House some were sent to start making their lunch while others started to get their breakfast. They had a choice of fruit juice, cereals, arrange of cooked items and toast. It was heartening to see so many eat a large filling breakfast and indeed go back for seconds.

 The morning activity was mountain biking for two groups and archery for the other two. The archers enjoyed the challenge and took part well.

 The two other groups set off on their cycle run round Feshie Bridge and Insh Woods. However, they first had to get their bike, a high vis safety vest and a bike helmet. This all took some time and then they were instructed on the basics of mountain biking and how to use the gears and brakes. After getting used to their bikes within the grounds of the centre the groups set off. Time was spent on the roads round the centre before heading off into the woods of the local area. Each hill was greeted with a groan and a few managed to keep pedalling to get to the top of each one! However, for every climb there was descent and this was always more enjoyable!

 After two hours of gruelling cycling we made it back to the centre where they had to clean their bikes for the next ones to use. Lunch was eagerly eaten by all as the fresh air and exertion certainly made them work up an appetite!

 In the afternoon two groups were sailing and the other two groups were off cycling! The weather had changed and for the first hour or so we had a mixture of rain and hailstones! The cyclists felt the heat as the hard work of pedalling certainly got their heat levels up. The sailors however found it quite chilly our on the water and were glad to have their waterproofs on to help shield them a little from the wind.

 Some of the sailors did end up IN the water while the majority managed to remain mainly dry! At the end of the afternoon activities there was a dash to the showers for the sailors to help them heat up while the cyclists got the opportunity to visit the shop! The other groups will get to the shop today!

 Our evening meal was a BBQ! However, due to the poorer weather it was an indoor BBQ in the restaurant. However, the children enjoyed the traditional BBQ items and had a good feed followed by a choc ice!

 We had a change of activity for the evening and ended up RAFT BUILDING with all four groups! The evening session is shorter and in only 90 minutes the groups had to build, test and sail their raft and disassemble it and put everything back in the correct places. The groups were quite large but they all set off with great enthusiasm to see if their group could build the most effective raft! They had ropes, wooden poles and plastic barrels to construct their raft. After much debate, disagreement, discussion and a few minor disagreements the three rafts were ready for their race!

 The children were desperate to get into the water on the rafts – despite the fact the water was FREEZING! Some decided they were not keen to head off into the water and supported their team mates from the shore!

 The groups were set off on the task a sailing their raft out into the loch to a specified marker and back! However, they soon found this was a more challenging task when things did not quite go according to plan! The barrels soon started to float off and they were left with the wooden frame to move round the course! The race was on and having made it round the marker and back to shore they had to dismantle it and get everything away! Well, mayhem ensued and the children had a great time! The cold water did not seem to deter them and at the end of the session they were offered the chance to jump off the pier into the loch – IF THEY WANTED TOO! Well, amazingly around 30 of them lined up to take their turn of jumping into the loch! They thought this was great fun – well at least until they realised how cold the water was when they were totally immersed in the loch! They screamed and laughed as they made their way back to shore before heading back up to the accommodation to get all their wet clothes into the drying room!

 After some hot chocolate and a biscuit we had a feed back session with each of the groups before heading off to bed for a good nights sleep!

 Today is ski-ing and canoeing and they are all looking forward to this. We hope that the weather is a little brighter today!

 Two days down, two to go! It is very tiring but great fun!

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Day 1 – Monday 18th April

Today has been great fun and everyone seems to have enjoyed the day. The journey was uneventful and only one person was sick! We had a stop in Aberlour so they could go to the toilet and get some fresh air.

 I had warned the driver about the narrow bridge with the very sharp corner at the end that takes us across the Spey at the top end of Loch Insh! He said that this was not a problem and he would easily get us across it! However, before getting to this bridge we had to go under a railway bridge. The sign said clearance for vehicles up to 11feet 9 inches. He stopped and looked at me and said that the bus was 12 feet high! This potentially could have meant a diversion of 8 – 10 miles but he shrugged and said we’d give it a go. He lowered the suspension and went under very slowly! The children gave him a round of applause when we made it under safely!

 The first activities were sailing and archery. Two groups set out on the loch in a variety of boats and were kitted out in their waterproofs, lifejackets and helmets. There was a decent breeze and it meant they were able to learn a variety of skills about sailing! The other groups were doing archery and they all enjoyed the challenge of trying to hit the target! They soon realised that this was more difficult than they had first thought.

Quite a few of the sailors ended up in the water at the end of the session! The nice weather made some think it would be fun to jump off the pier into the loch! This was until they hit the water and realised that it was actually colder than they had thought! But that is all part of the experience!

 Tea was very nice! There was vegetable soup and bread for starters followed by a choice of macaroni, cottage pie or baked potatoes. Sweet was apple and rhubarb crumble with custard!

 The evening activity was way finding and they set off in small groups with a map of the centre to find a variety of different locations marked on the map. Some groups rose to the challenge and set off to complete the activity as quickly as possible while others took it as an opportunity to have a stroll round the grounds.

 After juice and a biscuit at night we split into three groups to get some feed back from the day and everyone took part well.

 All is now quiet as they are settling down to sleep. The first challenge tomorrow will be making their packed lunch! I wonder what odd combinations of sandwiches we shall get this year!

 Click on the link below to see photos from Monday’s activities.

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Arrived safe and sound!

Here we are at Loch Insh Watersports Centre! We arrived safely at around 11:45 in time to get shown to our rooms and then to have our lunch! During lunch Johnny Freshwater came along and did his introductory talk! After. This it was straight off to our first activity! Two groups were sailing and two groups went to learn how to be an archer! The weather has been great and we hope they ALL have sun cream with them! After the activity was finished we made our way back to the hall to get some juice and also to unpack! This seemed an odd activity for some who just want to live out of their case! Some of the sailors were rather wet after launching themselves off the end of the pier or having capsized! But all were happy! We are now having tea and they have had soup, cottage pie, macaroni and a sweet! Tomorrow morning we will update this and put up some photos from today at breakfast time! Is it Thursday yet??

Loch Insh 2011 - Trial Post

This is a trial post to check that the blog is still working properly! We are looking forward to the trip and cant wait for the first day back to get going! We will update this daily with a summary of the day and some photos!