Coniston 1991

Me and Flod in charge. Daniel Busman, William Bugg, Rob Cooper, Rich Martin, Steve Martin, Paul Gamblen, Paul Furmston, Matt Smith, Andy Watkins, Anthony Watkins, Andy Gregory, Richard Beavis, David Stacey, Johnny Pither, Ian Goodall. Pat and Edna come along for the first few days. PK, Tats and Ann-Marie Gregory and Tony Young come up for the first day.

Saturday 3rd August - Flod comes round at 8am. Drive down to Atwal Van hire. They have a large sign saying that they will take a cheque but that they prefer CASH. Go to Kwik Save, buy the tuck shop, cash-up by Katie Hall. Get to Breadsall village for 9.30am. Flod goes home for breakfast and to pack. Pete has been there since 9am, get a load of gear into his van. Get a few rucksacks into Tat's car. Very full of gear in the van. Flod comes back at 10,30am, depart in convoy, go via Holmes Chapel. Tony Young breaks Pete's windscreen in the first couple of miles, trying to kill a fly. Lunch at a service station, lose Floddy, arrive at 5.10pm, sunny, put up tents. Make some poles for the brown tent. They cook ham omelette. Loads of other cars start to arrive. Park all over the wall and on the road. We eventually realise that we are caught up in the middle of a Cave Rave. The road to Ambleside is completely solid with cars. Pete and Tony go to investigate the rave till late on.

Sunday 4th - Get up at 7.30am, the scouts are up and chopping wood. Make a cup of tea for Edna and Pat. Inspection at 9am, watched by the ventures. Make gadgets etc. Dinner at the camp. Walk up to Tarn Howes, for a swim. Rob Cooper gets into a bit of trouble and Flod rescues him. Beavis tries fishing. Walk round the lake. Pete, Tony and Tats depart. Do chicken and bacon in the fire, not very well done, must be burnt. Take people down to phone. Drinks with Pat and Edna till 3.40am, talk about the usual things.

Monday 5th - Wake up to heavy rain, very steady. Tell them to stay in bed. Cook the breakfast in the brown tent. Decide to go swimming at Kendal in the van and cars, cool pool, no facilities. Lots of traffic in Kendal. Go for chips in Ambleside, difficulty parking, meet Pat and Edna, they have been to the Beech-hill Hotel for the day. Starts to rain as we get back to camp. Pat and Edna make a very good chicken soup. Beavis's tent leaks a lot, very old. Stay up late with Flod talking about religion.

Tuesday 6th - Wake up to heavy rain at 7.30. Beavis has moved his patrol into the brown tent at 4am. Heavy rain till 2pm. Cook sausage sandwiches in the brown tent. Go over Wrynose and Hardknott pass to get to Sellafield, go round the visitor displays, coach trips are all full up. Have a burger in the restaurant. Edna and Pat take Johnny Pither and Ian Goodall home. We make corn beef hash in the brown tent. Take a few scouts into Coniston to phone home. Stay up and talk about the stars.

Wednesday 7th - Wake up at 7.30, dry so lie in, get up at 8.45, inspection at 9.10am. They try and cook breakfast, only William can make a fire. Leave the campsite at noon. Take sandwiches, crisps, apples. Start walking up the 'Old Man' at 12.40, 1½ hours to the top. Mess around on the way down. Go for a swim in a clear stream, very cold, Paul Furmston cuts his foot, lots of blood. Get back into Coniston, let them go shopping for an hour, me and Flod call in at the Black Bull. Buy some more tuck shop in the co-op - £50. Spag bol for tea on their fires.

Thursday 8th - Wake up to a nice day, inspection at 9am. They cook on their fires, sausage and egg. Get to Coniston for 12.40, only one mountain bike left. Drive to Torver to try and find some more. Meet Mr and Mrs Martin at a pub. Drive back and William takes the bike out. We all hire Canadian canoes. Some find a difficult to paddle. Head to the north end of the lake first and then down the east side. Have dinner on the shore. I paddle with Anthony and David Stacy. Four of them capsize and go in, including Chinney of course. Back home for 6pm. Cook stew, very nice meal. We all go into town to phone. Andy Watkins is sick from swallowing some lake water.

Friday 9th - Starts off wet again. Big Rich, Steve Martin and Chinney go home. Decide to go to the leisure pool in Keswick. Cook in the brown tent, more sausages. Not a very good pool, it has a slide but very small pool. Give them some money and they go for chips. Me and Flod go for a sit down meal, still raining. Buy bacon and more bread. Get back and it is still raining. Sit in the van and then decide to go for a drive. Take a few of them over the two passes. Misty but not dark. Very low on petrol, drive to Seascale for a station, eventually find one. Turn back to go back over the passes, gets very misty. Get stuck on the steepest slope. Have to turn around and go back to the coast road, drive down to Brough in Furness, then over the pass to Coniston.

Saturday 10th - Have inspection in the morning, very close on points. Go to Ambleside, and catch the ferry down to Bowness. Arrive for 1.30pm. We get the return time wrong, we now go back on the 3.40pm. Flod and Paul Furmston go back home. Back at camp, PL's cook burger, beans and hot dogs. The rest start taking the camp apart. Have a large fire to get rid of all the rubbish. Announce the camp prize, William's team have won. Share out all the tuck.

Sunday 11th - Get up for 9am, get working. Pete arrives at 10.30, leave at 12.30.