This year the troop camped on the outfield of the village cricket pitch at Little Bredy, Dorset between Dorchester and Bridport. An advanced party travelled down the day before, on the Friday, with the main equipment and were met by the bus and its passengers on the Saturday dinner time.

We were 40 people in total made up of 20 scouts, 5 senior scouts and the rest were leaders and helpers. The land belongs to Sir Philip Williams who allows scouts to camp on this field, he resides within sight of the field in a beautiful mansion called Bridehead. On the Sunday we attended Church at Litton Cheney where we were greeted with enthusiasm by the locals and were entertained by a guitar wealding vicar.

In the afternoon we watched cricket and supplied the hot water for their tea. There were various outings including West bay and a visit tot he Lime Stone quarry caves at Beer. We also hiked from Maiden Castle to Abbotsbury stopping off at the Hardy Monument and ending up with fish and chips at Chesel Beach.

Friday was spent at Weymouth with the boys splashing around in the sea and some flying kites. Earlier in the week three of the older scouts set off on an overnight expedition starting at Musbury and stopping to camp for the night on a farm at Uplyme owned by Jim Alexander formerly of lower Box Hill Farm.

The next day they walked to Lyme Regis where they met their lift back to camp. This year saw ten new campers who coped extremely well, as a whole everybody just got on with everything and made the week enjoyable. We were visited by a former Brockham scout, Jack Meadows and his wife who were on holiday nearby; they took the opportunity to catch up on old times. The week ended with a grand camp fire and the last day gave us a scorcher enabling us to pack away dry.

Farewell to Little Bredy but we shall hopefully return in a year or two, my thanks to the leaders and helpers without whom camps would not be so easy to run and to a group of boys namely the scouts of which Brockham should be proud.

Simon Long
October 2003

Summer Camp 2003

This year saw the troop return to Huttons Ambo near Malton in North Yorkshire. Brockham Scouts have camped on this site on numerous occasions thanks to Brian Spiller a long time friend to the troop who lives nearby in Rillington.

An advanced party arrived prior to the bus and set up the store tent and the all-important tea making facilities. On Sunday a small number of boys traveled near to Pately Bridge on the edge of the Penines, with the guidance of a caving instructor they explored caverns and underground systems.

Meanwhile the rest of the troop attended Church at Old Malton where the Rev John Manchester and his congregation made all welcome. The campsite which is just a grassy field was soon home for the week, the River Derwent which was just a few yards away was regularly used for canoeing. The boys who camp in patrols cooked 1st class meals such as egg and bacon breakfasts, pork chops, sausages, burgers in gravy, chicken curry complemented with fresh veg and rounded off with puds such as fruit salad & rice pudding. Nobody goes hungry.

Other activities during the week included pony trekking, at Sinnington near to Pickering and also a circular walk from Robin Hoods Bay following the coastal path to Ravenscar and back along the disused railway line where the day ended with Fish & Chips.

Finally the week closed with a splendid campfire. Saturday gave us a fine day to clear up and at this point we said a fond farewell to Yorkshire. Once again a great camp with a good team of leaders. Without them camp would be quite difficult.

Simon Long
October 2003

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