AWESOME!

8 cubs, three leaders, 4 parent helpers, Blackland Farm and the mixed up british weather. A recipe for our summer cub camp.

Akela and Baloo led the journey of the first Ticehurst cub camp held in living memory.

They booked a great hut at Blackland Farm near East Grinstead and the action started from the moment the cubs arrived.

They explored the campsite looking for adventure and found it in the form of trees, puddles and MUD! by teatime the lure of the streams and puddles were just too much and the cubs piled in or should we say dived into the murky streams to emerge smiling but caked in the stuff. Brown cubs had to be cleaned off with buckets of cold water before having showers and their clothes washed.

Our second day opened with the cubs learning knots before a morning climbing. The adults got into the spirit of camp abseiling down the tower. Later the cubs turned their attention to the archery range where Oli managed to beat off all challengers including the leaders and parents. Knowing that campfire night was Saturday night the cubs designed flyers to hand out to the other groups around the site.

Baloo and Akela led their first campfire backed by a blazing fire which took no prisoners spitting and spluttering. Our cubs performed well and enjoyed all the singsong as if they were three times as many. We were joined by other cubs for our campfire who gave us a present that would haunt us all the camp. A new camp song. You would not believe it made up of nursery rhymes...get funky now! Watch our for it heading your way as a ring tone or just a small person humming.

Another morning and a new challenge the tunnelling complex where the cubs managed to turn the underground maze into a noisy playground. challenge. Next grass sledging. Everyone sped down a huge hill at ever increasing speed on small tracked sledges. As none of the sledges had brakes and steering was at best just leaning over it was pot luck where the cubs ended up.

A hike to nearby Stone Farm rocks allowed us to learn a bit about the fruits and fungus around at this time of year. Of course something else caught the attention of the cubs. As we walked through a sheep filled field they could not believe that the electric fence really worked and had to put it to the test - more than once actually. When we finally arrived at the rocks everyone scrambled up, roped up and free climbing rocks and trees. By the time we got back to camp everyone was ravenous. Dinner was under way and we had to try every trick to stop the cubs from entering the hut where the parents had arranged a fiesta party atmosphere for the last night pizza party complete with balloons, whistles and mountains of pizza! To fill the time we played ultimate frisbee and took to the assault course for the last time.

The last day looked very scary as we looked out to dark skies and heavy rain. Funny though, by the time we finished breakfast the sun had broken through the clouds as if ready for us. We hit the pool and a great morning of water polo would up the adventure for our cubs ready to be picked up and transported home.