Our Final Holiday Blog

Each day our blog has been written by different young people. This is what a few of them had to say on the coach back to Epsom:

We’re on our way home from a phabtastic holiday (: filled with new challenges, teamwork and a whole lot of fun. The Phab holiday was brilliant and I would definitely recommend it to other people. We did so many different activities which helped us get to know our team mates. The Phab holiday was cool and full of surprises and fun, fun and even more FUN!

Another young person wrote: This was my first Phab holiday which I really enjoyed. We had fab weather, good company and great activities which stretched us all. Now we are on our way home for a well earned rest! It was brilliant doing the canoeing then I jumped into the water and it was very freezing then we had an ice cream then we came back. This Phab Holiday is one of the best Phab holidays ever. I can’t wait to get on the coach for the next Phab holiday to Calvert Trust!!!!! It has been a Phab (fab) trip to Bendrigg.

Just before the batteries on my laptop ran out (a bit like my energy on the coach, at the end of a great trip!), another young person wrote this about their experience: The Phab holiday was the best , it is my second time. I really enjoyed it. I wish I could say my favourite activity but they were all great. The camp fire was great, all my team mates were fantastic. Next year we are going to CaIvert Trust but I have no idea how they can top this Phab holiday. We are now on our way home, I am sad about leaving.

So that’s it for our final blog entry for our Bendrigg Holiday of 2010. As our T-shirts colourfully depicted, in 20 Years of Epsom Phab Holidays, this was actually our 10^th trip to Bendrigg, so 2010 worked out very well indeed! As our very own Hogwart ends, the magical memories & friendships will continue at club on Friday nights and wherever our next adventures take us.

Thanks to the brilliant staff at Bendrigg, Steve our driver from Eastways Coaches, our own leaders and in particular our young leader team for getting so many of the group through their Youth Achievement Awards. But finally the biggest thank you goes to all the children who came to fill the holiday with energy, friendship and FUN!

Till next time……………

Its our last day

It’s been a really exciting day, filled with fun which included canoeing, kayaking, climbing, abseiling, zip-wiring, bendy potting and bendy beaming. The night ended with the entertaining sketches from kids, adults and helpers, which we have been practising for the last 2 nights. Afterwards we all enjoyed a fun disco in the hall where we all danced together to our favourite tunes.

See you tomorrow for our final blog of the trip.

Love from
Sara, Ed, Anna, Ellen and Helena

x x x x x

Day 3 - More fun in the sun!

Hello everybody!

Today we went dry ski slope in Kendal. We got changed into our boots and put on our skis. We then spilt into 4 groups and we had practice moving up and down the ski slope. Wheelchair users in our group had fun going down the slope on a ski chair.

Some young children went to the farm. There were baby lambs which we fed and they were very cute. We then moved on to the piglets. The mum had just given birth and so they were very small and extremely adorable.

Other people went ghyll scrambling, which involves climbing up a rocky stream, and over large boulders, it was fun. We went over and under rocks. Wahoo!

Tonight, we’ve had lots of fun writing and rehearsing our plays for tomorrow and doing volleyball and chilling in the sensory room which is a room full of music, bean bags and flashing lights.

See you soon everyone (:

From Elliot, Laurel, Edward, Lauren, Helena, Harry, Sebastian, Alexander, Matthew, Luke, and Sara. xxxxxxxxxxx

Day Two - Hey everybody!

We have been having a lovely time on the Phab Holiday, our weather has been really sunny and warm and everybody is getting on really well.

Today, half of us went out to Lake Windermere to do canoeing and kayaking, it was a lot of fun, although we got a little bit (or in some cases very) wet! We had a picnic on a small island in the middle of the lake and enjoyed ice creams back on the mainland…YUM! We have all improved our water crafts.

Meanwhile, back at Bendrigg, the other half of us enjoyed the indoor climbing wall, the zip-wire, abseiling, bendi pot and bendi beam. Bendi pot is a dark (scary) tunnel which you have to crawl around in your hands and knees...We had to watch out for the spiders! Bendi beam is a long tree trunk which you walk up and ring a bell at the end, some of the adventurous ones went up blindfolded and backwards. It was loads of fun and everyone has gained in confidence.

Everybody is working really well in a team, especially in creating a song to perform at the camp fire- an entertaining night where we finished off with marshmallows. Don’t tell the little ones, but some of us older ones are playing volleyball at the moment! Ssh…

See you too soon :-)

Ellen, Sara, Laurel and Lauren

x x x x

Day 1

Wow. It already feels like we have had two days in one; a great journey starting in the early hours of the morning in a great double decker coach with all mod-cons and fully wheelchair accessible. Then on arrival a full on programme of activities; orienteering, bendy-pots, archery, indoor caving & low ropes courses. In between all of this we had to unpack and face the challenge of bed-making.

The sorting hat worked its magic as this years themes is "Harry Potter", so we all got put into groups; Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Ravenclaw & Gryffindor.

We hear even more magic is on its way as the sun is expected to join us on the lakes tomorrow.

Night from Hogwart Central on our first very full day
xx

Bendrigg 2010

Hi Phab Bloggers,

Only a few days to go and just a couple of things to tell you...........The theme for this year will be 'Harry Potter' - you are welcome to bring along any fancy dress or wizard hats.

Don't forget we are leaving at 5am on Friday morning!

The blog will be updated each day of our trip with the latest news. You can also follow our adventures at www.twitter.com/EpsomPhab Lets get packing, it's going to be magic!

So, let's get packing, it's going to be magic!