Adventure for all!
Osmington Bay in Dorset is the perfect place to enjoy outdoor activities and a spot of adventure. And this is where Lower II went from 5th – 7th June for their residential visit, an opportunity for activity, bonding and teamwork. Here Mrs Round, Form Teacher, Lower IIA, reports on this highly successful visit:
‘The excitement mounted as we drew into the steep winding road that led into PGL Osmington Bay, Dorset. The girls gasped at their first sight of the sea. The location was perfect for a three day residential trip. However, our first challenge was – the weather. We experienced strong winds, hailstones and heavy rain, but this did not dampen the girls’ spirits. They met every activity with enthusiasm and determination, in true St Augustinian style.
Each day brought a fresh set of challenges through a fantastic range of fun activities: climbing, mountain biking, trapeze, survival, problem-solving tasks and everybody’s favourite… the giant swing!
“The Giant Swing was amazing but also a bit scary. You would be pulled up to the top (which was really high) and then you had to pull a white string to release yourself and fly!” (Fern Mortimer)
After a day of activities, the girls were ready for a hearty meal and all enjoyed the delicious food and ate well. But the day didn’t end there; the evening was filled with further activities.
“A highlight for me was ‘Splash’, where we were put into groups and competed in silly challenges, such as drawing the teachers, a blow paper-fish race, name the most chocolate bars in a minute and build a tower of shoes.” (Coroico Bottomley).
The disco was another highlight of the trip and the girls enjoyed getting ready for it as much as dancing the night away:
“That was really fun because I met new friends and danced all night!”
On the last day the sun came out, just in time to enjoy our coastal walk, with yet more games and challenges packed into the morning’s schedule. It was so lovely for the girls to be out in the fresh air, enjoying the beautiful scenery and the sound of the sea’s ebb and flow, in the company of their friends. They also learnt about the pillboxes from WWII, which had gradually fallen onto the beach due to erosion. They heard the story of soldier ‘Tommy’ from World War I: Tommy was shot at, in the middle of the night, by another soldier who mistook him for a German! However, his life was saved by a pebble in his pocket, which he’d picked up from the beach and put in his pocket. The story goes that pebbles with holes in them are from Tommy’s pocket, bearing the scars of the bullets!
Before long it was time to head home back to London; our adventure over but the memories will remain.
Categories: Junior Whole School
