In May, the whole Year 5 cohort of pupils trooped off to the stunning surrounds of the Menai Straits on Anglesey under clear blue skies for their long-awaited residential at The Conway Centre. A former naval cadet training base (named after the lost ship, HMS Conway) its facilities are ideally placed for water-based activities. Our programme this year did not disappoint.
Sailing proved immensely popular with pupils getting out on the water in both larger and smaller yachts, and a small motorboat.
The long-overdue fine weather meant that there was not an awful lot of wind to fill the sails, but most groups did manage to get going under wind power at least for short periods as they navigated the strait between the Centre and the Britannia Bridge. Many got a turn on watch, at the helm or ‘sheeting in’.
Coasteering was a new addition to the programme. A “black run” of a coastal hike is one way of describing this physically demanding and exhilarating activity. Our instructors were excellent at picking the best routes around the jagged coastline for each group according to ability, enthusiasm and of course tide and wind. Before long, all pupils were leaping off 2m high rocks, scrambling eagerly on all fours over steep barnacle-covered escarpments and churning around in the swell of the infamous Washing Machine with big smiles on their faces.
Those who were initially reticent showed remarkable bravery and resilience to face their fears and give it a go. The staff were all enormously proud of those ‘wobblers’ who nonetheless overcame their fears to complete their coasteering route.
Zip lining and low ropes was a real crowd-pleaser, partly because the children didn’t have to worm their way into extra layers of kit. As with coasteering, a few nerves had to be overcome as they hurled themselves from a very high zip line platform, crashing gleefully a few seconds later into the cargo net (or their Group Leader!)
Excellent teamwork was on display as groups had to negotiate a complex route of obstacles, nets, walls and ropes in the Centre’s bluebell-filled wood. Many even tried tasting the wild garlic.
The evenings were filled with Nightline, monster games of cricket and rounders, manhunt and orienteering, and finished off with hot chocolate, cookies and trying to out-sing Mr Wyatt with his guitar. In between all that, the children got a few hours of sleep!
The children returned full of tales, a little bit more confident and feeling braver, and with happy memories to last a lifetime.
