The last week of the academic year means one thing for Year 9… camp!
Each year, we take Year 9 to Croyde in North Devon for some camping and watersports fun. This year saw nearly 60 students drag their bags to the front of the school building at 8:30am on Monday 1 July, ready to load onto a coach. First, we loaded up a van and minibus full of tents and food in preparation for setting up camp at Cherry Tree Farm. We have used this campsite for many years and always have exclusive use which gives the students plenty of space for selecting a pitch and kicking a football around in the evening.
The journey down the M5 quickly came to a standstill with the motorway being closed at Bridgwater for 2 hours! Once the road was re-opened, we stopped at Taunton services for a well-needed break and some lunch before heading into Devon where the sun greeted us.
Once we got to the campsite, students and staff got to work putting up tents and unloading vehicles before we headed off to Braunton for some bowling. It was lovely to see such happiness and excitement between the lanes. Dinner was a hearty carvery meal at The Williams Arms in Braunton before heading back to camp for some rest, ready for the days ahead.
Tuesday saw students split into two activity groups: Bodyboarding and a local walk with a market visit and then swapping over after lunch. The evening meal was a chicken/veggie katsu curry cooked by Biffen’s Kitchen (Surf-Inspired Street Food) who are based on the nearby campsite of Ocean Pitch. They provided 65 hot meals for us to take away and enjoy with views overlooking Croyde Bay.
On Wednesday, the groups split to surf and then walk through the dunes to visit the shops of Croyde. Everyone got involved, despite the weather being a little cloudy and drizzly. Later in the day, we also said goodbye to the boarding students who left to go back to school with Mr Milne in the afternoon.
The evening meal was the annual tradition of a pre-ordered meal at The Manor House Inn, a short walk from the campsite. The Head even came down for a visit in the afternoon and joined us for dinner.
Thursday is pack-up day, a day of mixed emotions – realising that it’s the last day of camp, school, and Year 9. Students had a leisurely start with breakfast before beginning the pack-up process. Here we saw the true extent of the snacks they had hiding in their tents! The tents were packed away, bags were stuffed with damp wetsuits and dirty clothes before heading back on the coach to Sidcot for the end of the school day.
A big thank you to Rosie Bellinger and Geoff Andrews who dedicate so much time to organising and running this fantastic camp every year and to the supporting staff – we wouldn’t have been able to run it without your support in Croyde:
Dave King, Sarah Davies, Tom Holdsworth, Steph Tidey, Jack Cartwright, Harry Goodrick, James Milne, Christian Hughes and James Jones.
