:: Winter Camp ::

Introducing Winter Camp

Every January/February since 2003 when Mark (Cherrymonster) stupidly suggested it, SSAGS has gone away on Winter Camp, SSAGS’s first outdoor camp of the year. A fairly out-of-the-way campsite is usually chosen, current members and past members (graduates) are invited and off we go! Activities are usually fairly Scout or Guide based with ‘backwards cooking’ and ‘Pioneering’ featuring strongly (well when the pioneering poles haven’t been used as firewood (doh!))

Winter Camp usually includes a Saturday afternoon stroll (well mini-hike) and late nights huddled around the campfire singing. This isn’t a camp for the faint-hearted, it is likely to be very cold and wet and it may even snow, but don’t get me wrong, so long as you pack (and wear) plenty of layers, it is likely to be a barrel of laughs. How much, or how little you participate in the weekend is up to you, but as with all events, the more you put in, the more you will get out of it.

Winter Camp 2008 - TBA

Location: Details to come

Activities:

Details to come

Kit List

Since we are going in January, packing needs to take this into account!

Past Winter Camps

Winter Camp 2007 - Fri 26th - Sun 28th January 2007

Report to come

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Winter Camp 2006 - 27th - 29th January 2006

Second Winter Camp and another cold one, after slight panic with kit on Friday evening but after that was sorted we were off. The campsite (Gelli) was lovely (even if several things didn't work; electric lighting and hot water). After pitching tents and the van had finally arrived (after going via Barry). People were introduced, the Grads to the Freshers and members of other clubs (one representative from Bangor , Aber and Swansea ). So the night progressed with some soup being produced later on. Due to the coldness we huddled round the fire or in people's tents.

The Saturday morning dawned and I was the first up, closely followed by a grad and Helen. I set about starting the ‘Lazy Boiler', Helen and Heather started the breakfast, who were then very ably helped by Mark(kicking K). After a Late breakfast all of us jumped into cars or the minibus, off for the days outing to New Quay and the beach, where we had a sandcastle competition/sculpture competition. One team made a very good sculpture of Fred, beautifully crafted and the other team made a great castle with 2 moats and protective wall, christened ‘Chateau Fred'. The rest of the time was given up to playing Frisbee, eating our packed lunch and for Matt and Ian (‘Pinky') having a (very) quick dip in the sea (Mad!)

Just before leaving New Quay some of us stopped off for fish and chips, the rest of us returned to site to build up the fire ready for backwoods cooking. Dinner was lovely, my stuff cooked near perfectly, though others were less than satisfied with their attempts. We had sausages on sticks (or in foil), Turkey and veg parcels and potatoes. Once dinner had been finished the fire was built up again and we sang songs, drank and tried to keep as warm as poss. Later on it was time for the traditional Flaming Bogroll Football, total madness, I nearly had a bogroll in the face and on another occasion it went directly between my leds.

The Breakfast on Sunday was late again with me taking more part in the cooking. The main thing for Sunday Morning was striking camp and clearing up. Once that was done we were ready to leave, we said goodbye and left (easily!). The day was finished off in the traditional way with a curry. Thanks to Sez for organising it, Alex for driving the van and representing Swansea, Tony for driving the minibus, Matt for sorting the kit, Bangor Sez and Gareth (Aber) for representing their clubs, Helen, Heather and Mark for cooking breakfast and everyone else for attending and congratulations to Matt and Bangor Sez for completing Slab Challenge.

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Winter Camp 2005 - Cae Gwenllain, Broneirion, the home of Welsh Guiding, Mid Wales - 28th - 30th January

A non-wet Winter Camp, WOW! The special weather I ordered was AMAZING (well it didnt rain)!

5 of us got up at 6am on Friday and drove up to Llanidnam, to Broneirion, the home of Girlguiding Cymru to set up camp for all the others. Veg had already been chopped, mess tents were collected and erected, an assembly for mum's 35 children in a local school was done, with 'Ging gang gooly' and 'Eidelweis' WITH actions being sung, we taught them about the history of Guiding and played 'Duck Duck Goose' with them. Fun was had by all, even though they thought he was dressed as a 'Policeman' in his Scout uniform, Dom went down a storm with all the girls (and my mum!). Kit was then collected and a fire was started in preparation for eveyone's arrival. Aber arrived and erected their tents, while my Guider went in search of gas stoves that someone has 'borrowed' from our Guide Unit (I meet at Broneirion when Im home!)

A recieved a phone call at about 6pm saying that the mini-bus didnt start, so I started panicing, not for the 1st time and started ringing round, I worked out everyone could come without the mini-bus, Jess having wonderfully volunteered to drive too. Having organised that, I recieved a phone call saying that Rhys hadnt realised that the mini-bus had an immobiliser and was on the way (phew!) Grads started arriving and so did Aber, having scraped their mini-bus on a bridge that they shouldnt have gone over! Soup was dished out to those who wanted it, hugs were given (and receieved) and everyone started enjoying themselves. I went to bed, and me and Helen sat in bed getting VERY scared by the 'Flaming Bog Roll Football' game that would have been better if we could see it.

8.30 am saturday arrived and breakfast cooking started. We were still cooking at about 1130 when the last of CARDIFF got up! I then took the Guide contingent (and Cunning Danny) to the Girlguiding Shop to bankcrupt my Guide group! The boys were well into a game of Cricket which Dom had brought from Ramblers by now. When we were ready lunch was eaten and I took everyone on my favourite walk in the world, around Clewedog Dam, a walk we used to do after school and on weekends. I made them do it the proper way which meant I had to walk the MASSIVE hill! Me and Dom went back to my parents' house with Mark's car to upload all Dad's wood and then me and Dom stopped for a shower and a cuppa (separate showers I must clarify!) And then went to Somerfield. We arrived back to roaring fires and backwoods cooking of dinner started! We stayed around the fire til 3am, singing and then chatting.

Again 830 Sunday morning we got up to make breakfast. Then we sang to Tom and had his cake and the packing up began. The boys dealt with the tents and fires while my girlies cleared the kitchen. Nick cleaned the loos bless him. Everyone departed, Sez cleaned the remaining loos and me and Dom packed up the remains and put my Guide equipment back where it belongs! We started our journey back, and started texting the cars and mini-bus asking who fancied curry. 14 of us went for curry in the end, and thoughI nearly fell asleep in the middle, it was fun!

We went to Tesco's for petrol and there ended our Winter Camp (except the mess in my room!) - Bec

Winter camp 2005 - Best camp I have been on yet!

Slab challenge was crazy and I will never do it again - I don't want to start hating another type of drink like I now hate fosters. Another well done to Bec - She made it a great weekend! I really felt like I was at Guide camp at times - especially when all the Guides went flocking towards the Guide shop for patch badges! RUTH SLUGS feeding her obsession by spending £15 - nutter. Loved how all the Welsh clubs get on and are now all agreed on how we are going to dress for Scottish Rally Barn dance! And it was nice to meet some of the grads I have heard SOoo much about. Camp fire on Saturday was BRILLIANT! Did not feel at all silly singing Baby bumble bee in front of a load of scouts - may have something to do with the 11 cans of fosters in my belly but heh care! Highlights of the weekend include

  1. Matt singing (wailing) solo around the camp fire making people laugh at first and then become silent and disturbed
  2. Super long Quatermasters stores - was able to go to the toilet and it was still going when I got back
  3. Walk was refreshing and set me up to get another 11 cans down me
  4. Regaining Fred and gaining Aber's flag as revenge! mwahahaha!
  5. Putting Ruth (Cardiff) in the trailer.

Em

Got drunk, laughed at Rhys's inability to start a minibus, nice walk, good grub, good fire, great campsite & facilities, good cricket game, chilled out, it was nice to meet the freshers and catch up with my Bangor friends.

Matt..just one comment for you:

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Loooooooooser!!!!! LOL

Andy

Fab weekend. I really cant say how much i t reminded me that I miss you all. I cant wait to come back next year. It seesm our batch of freshers are jsut about as bonkers as we need them to be! (Hurrah!) Lots of beers, food (those sausages were AMASING!! - Bec - post me some) and flag stealage. Great to catch up with Bangor, and to meet the rest of Aber (not just Mary and Rob). Beautiful walks and complements from Dom on my Cricket! Plenty chilled out, and just what I needed to get me through the month and all the work ahead.

Thanks again, and I miss you lots.

Nick

 

Cheers Andy I love you to!

Really good weekend! Started with me and mark's tour of the Vale of Glamorgan. But it did make us laugh when we heard that the mini bus couldn't due to the immobilizer still being on (I love it when technology works). Well the rest of the weekend was taken up with drinking. I think there might have been a cricket match and a walk at sometime but I’m not sure! All I'm bothered about though was the 24 cans while at camp!

Really good camp and cheers to Beck for all the hard work!

Matt

Dom's Log, stardate 010205. Just to add to all the praises of enjoyment, that I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend, and it was nice to meet some other members from different SSAGO clubs. The weekend was definately one of the most fun weekend camps I've ever been on. It was relaxing yet exciting! Thanks Becky, and if ever you need a chauffeur again, you know who to call . I'd also like to pay a certain homage to the cricketers we discovered amongst us who didn't know they had it in them. And to Andy and Tim for being two of the three mainstays for bowling in the game! Also was nice to see some old Cardiff warhorses again, having lost none of their senses of humour. Bring on the next one!

Dom

Another fantastic weekend!! It stayed dry (gotta be a first for SSAGS!) and we had fun (as always with SSAGS!) Was really good to be able to chill out with folks, old friends and new (was great to meet people from Bangor and Aber that I didn't already know.) Enjoyed the cricket, the walking (even at postie pace!) the campfire and singing and once again SSAGS excelled itself with the quality of food! I went with an upset stomach and not even that could put me off those gorgeous sausages and bacon sandwiches Mmmmm!

Sez xx

Woo hoo. What can I say? Thanks for a fantastic weekend Bec, and everyone who helped with plans, crafts and most importantly cooking. The food was fantastic! Well I think i'm finally clean, although still half asleep and i've had my 1st lecture back. Back to the Weekend. Fantastic singing round the campfire on saturday night, thanks to Nick, Mark and (somone i can't remember who) for leading us. I had never realised that "Quatermasters stores" could last so long or have rhymes for everyone there. And to Em, congratulations on the songbook, I think there should be more songs added after the weekend. So many songs were sung I cant remember them all. The Cricket game was amusing. Who won in the end, does anyone know? Big congratulations needed for Em and Matt for completing the Slab challenge. Well done for not being ill. And still making it out for a curry after the weekend.

Overall the Weekend was Fantastic.

Heather

WELL DONE BECKY. Please direct all credit aimed at 'The Exec' towards becky for this weekend. she did a stunning job organising it all and I reckon she is a genius for working her fingers off (quite literally at some point) for the society. Woo hoo for Becky

Laura

Thank you sooooo much Becky, it was a brilliant weekend. I really enjoyed myself and learnt a new talent in the process. By the way, I can be hired to cook eggy bread for a small fee. The cricket was great as was the walk, I've now had enough exercise for the week. For the first time, I feel like i've had a break this weekend, and not come back feeling worse than when i went. It was also good to meet up with some of the older lot (sorry, can't think how else to say it) and to put some faces to the names. Things are clearer now. Thanks again.

Tigger

Definately a good weekend, and wouldn't have been the same with out everyone that went.

Will

One word can sum up the weekend: Fantastic. Would not have missed it for the world. In answer to a previous question, I have no idea who won the Cricket, but there weren't many runs scored. Thanks for the memories.

Marc

Fab weekend given that I didn't have to organise it for once. Shame I had to drive on the Saturday because I could have sooo done with that beer when I got up. Walk was good and cleared the head although I nearly cleared my stomach when I put my head back in the tent. Controlled it despite wretching quite violently. Campfire and songs were tip top and I'm sure the people nearby in the next village were singing along too. Backwoods cooking is always a high point and we burnt lots of wood and had to take the trailer on a midnight wood run and nearly took a car out, oh well, just noone tell Broneirion how much wood we burnt in the end and that they need to train their Guides to be able to build proper Scout style fires. Well done to all involved and roll on next year, perhaps Aber will have matured enough not to attempt to steal our mascot and end up with their flag on EBay!

Cherrymonster

Great weekend, but I'm never driving a 12 seater ever again, they're crap. And they have immobilisers apparently... Really enjoyed the walk though.

Rhys

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Winter Camp 2004 - Parc-le-breos, Gower

This year’s winter camp was held at Parc-le-Bros on the Gower peninsula outside Swansea. We were over 20 people going so we ended up having to take a union bus and some cars. We met up at the back of the union as normal, and were waiting for the last car to arrive when Tom phoned to let us know that it would not be able to drive to Swansea. While Andy went to pick Tom and his passengers up, Mark and some other members went to Penarth and Barry scout huts to pick up the kit, hoping this would save us some time. To make a very long story short, when we finally had all the kit on, Mark decided to test the breaks, and the roof rack almost fell off and had to be taken down. Luckily this happened while the leaders from Barry HQ were just leaving, and they let us move all into a trailer which they drove down on Saturday morning. When we finally got to the camp site it was around midnight and it was raining heavily, not a very good situation to put the tents up in! Things looked a lot better the next morning though, and after breakfast people started to collect wood for a fire while Andy and Camilla went into Swansea to pick up Becky and some more waterproofs.

Saturday evening was spent around the campfires and making food, we had hamburgers cooked in cabbage, vegetable parcels and garlic bread. When we had finished eating it started to rain again and we went inside one of the mess tents where Tom celebrated his 21 st birthday with two bottles of champagne, and we played some games. Then on Sunday we were planning to see Oxwich Castle but when we finally got there it was closed for the winter so we went to the Gower heritage centre instead. After that we had lunch, packed up and went home, something which for some reason took hours to do! Still, it was a good camp, a bit more exciting than we planned for, but still a good laugh.

Comments:

Oh my god, did it rain! Oh yes!! It poured and poured – all weekend! Highlights were flaming bog roll football, fire, burgers cooked in cabbage leaves and me nearly driving the minibus off the clip! Very wet, very very wet! Andy

Well, well, well, my first wintercamp…. Could it have been any wetter?!?! Definitely a team building weekend – working together against the rain! I had fun though – made up on Saturday night for the lack of drinking the night before so all was well and good! Roll on next camp…

Kate aka Brum1

Well, what can I say? It was as said above v.wet, bit windy but luckily not too cold! My first camp definitely started off well, putting up tents at 1am in the rain with no working torch or waterproof trousers was definitely testing! All this after an unfortunate roof-rack incident! Good job Mark tested the brakes! After all this nothing could seem so bad! All in all seriously good fun. Can’t wait till next year!

(fuzzy Bear) Claire xx

Thank heavens for waterproof trousers!! That’s the cleanest my normal camp trousers have come home from camp ever! Well, I can definitely confirm it was wet wet wet!! I did enjoy the weekend though, even though I didn’t get to go and play on the beach in the rain, but hey, the Gower isn’t that far to go! Have fun and till next time peeps!

Ruth T

Mud mud, glorious mud, there is nothing quite like a wet muddy field in the middle of the Gower to bring out the ‘camp spirit’ as well as the alcoholic variety! Thanks to all who organised it and for all in the partaking of Somerfield’s finest ‘Bruhe’. Hopefully my car will get better if not we can use it as the next campfire hehe

Bye for now, Morris

The weekend rocked!!! I now own £25 worth of v.fine waterproof trousers (ta cam). From three sober hours at the union to cremated burgers and listening to a v.funny Tom trying to chat up the ladies! Roll on next year where more things can go wrong so we all have a laff,

Laura

Hehe! Glad I missed all the chaos! Well times! Well – it was VERY muddy and wet – but had a wicked weekend! The food rocked! My first SSAGS only weekend – hopefully 1 st of many! See you next year! Lots of love,

Becky xxx

So winter camp ’04 – An interesting weekend of events, wondered what the weekend would be like after unusual events. Turned out well if you subtract the rain. Kept me busy but a grand effort by all especially Mike who did a sterling job getting our kit to and from the site. Boy I love goretex!

Mark

Hey – I loved it! It was like being at home – lots and lots of rain! Thanx for getting the weather just right! Was all a bit of an adventure – great to get away and we were kept occupied! Tent drying not so fun but that’s the way of things. I must be mad – would do it every weekend if I could! People great + weather – well its Britain + I have still never put a tent up when it’s not rained!

Sarah

Very eventful, thoroughly enjoyed myself and got thoroughly soaked! Keep smiling,

Brum aka Emily

Brilliant weekend, a little wet and muddy but all fun. Managed to miss the bus chaos but we had an interesting evening trying to light a fire with guiding magazines in the rain!!! (I think they are designed to be anti-burning). Anyway, brilliant time was had,

Ruth

My cunning plan paid off!!! Having wimped out of Friday night after seeing the weather forecast I arrived on Saturday morning to hear about the excitement of Friday night. It was nice to test out my waterproofs and the most fun moment was my ride in the trailer pulled by a select few! Saturday evening was great – I like camp fires! And I now know how mills work.

Helen F

Great weekend, it was good to be back on a camp in the middle of a field with nothing else. Still don’t think my eyes have recovered from being huddled under a tarp trying to light the fire! Not sure all my stuff’s dried out either. Hmm, what a random collection of memories: ‘champagne’ in the middle of a muddy field, fun round the fire, Andy trying to kill us all and finish a v. knackered mini-bus off, having to have mini-bus trips to get to the toilets to avoid getting swept away, arguing with drunken brummies (or at least 1 anyway) to try to get them to put their heads in the tent – facing the door just in case! Yep, that’s about enough I think. Other that to say: “Mark you tart!” hehe

(unknown)

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Winter Camp 2003 - Botany Bay, Gwent

Mark had this cunning idea to go camping in winter…umm…BRILLIANT. It was a really good camp and everyone enjoyed it despite the freezing conditions. Friday night, we got there set the tents up and built an alter fire. It was a late on for some of us !

Saturday morning we didn’t get up till about 10am understandable as we were up till 5am in the morning. Andy and Chris decided to pioneer a flag pole while fried breakfast was being cooked. Camilla supervised us and corrected some of our knots ! Andy made sure we did flag break – and we did it properly.

After breakfast we sat around while others pioneered a swing. We met some nice scout people from Bristol who were surveying summer camp site locations. The evening provided entertainment as we cooked fish, veggies, garlic bread and kebabs on the fire! Chris and Martin taught us some new camp fire songs !

Sunday consisted of getting up having breakfast, flag down, pulling down the pioneering structures, clearing the site and going home. Even though only ten people turned up it was really good and can’t wait to do it again!

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© M Glendinning 2004 © Cardiff SSAGS 2004