Bank Holiday Rainday


Children really are resilient little so and so's aren't they? Here we are near the end of almost two days constant rain and Nathalie has had a great time camping in the New Forest since Friday. Not only has she done the usual 'scout' activities like eating charcoal tasting food, falling over in puddles, holding onto her tent mate for warmth at night but she's come home with less of her dislike for Scouts then she went with.

The camp was one of those huge 100 years of Scouting bashes that are taking place this year. Only one of the planned events was cancelled, that was a night hike - I'm not sure whether it was cancelled because of the weather or because of the fact that there were over 400 scouts at the camp and the thought of that many teenagers marching across a wet and windy New Forest under cover of darkness contravened some Health & Safety initiative.

Anyway, Nathalie has said that she wants to leave the Scouts in July when they stop for the summer holidays. I'd like her to carry on some extra curricular activities, I know she does Karate but the school use any little excuse not to do games outside and I feel that she needs some exercise. The school situation is baffling because they have a great reputation and record for their sports teams, Jamie Redknapp is an old pupil, but it only has to be spitting with rain and its everybody into the sports hall.

Having said all that Nathalie has lasted longer in Scouts than I did with the Cubs. I managed one meeting, couldn't see the point of learning obscure knots, going camping and wondered why they didn't play more football. What did I know?