25th to 27th June.

1st Shalford's Family Camp. 

We did two nights, where most of the Families only did one.  As normal it rained a lot on the second day, up to the point we decided to go home earily.  J-W was walking around in a funny suit, as he spent most of the first day in the river doing pond dipping. How that works in a river I do not know.  The water was too deep in places for the Cubs and Beavers, so J-W was carrying them.  It was fun when the dippers had to dodge the canoes as they came through.  Three types of fish were caught, as well as some insects in there water swimming stage, or so J-W says.

J-W helped with the Camp Fire, but got a bit hot from the fire.

74 nights away now.

19th to 21st June.

Went to the South of England Show Ground, for the 2008 Scoutabout.

J-W says it is a camp for the Scouts and Guides of Surrey.  We went in the Minibus from Shere & Peaslake.  I saw Charliestar from the Gojamboree lot.  I got handed into lost property, when I was sitting and looking after J-W's camera on the archery range.  I got taken to the radio station, and I got to ring my bell on the air.  J-W told me off for lossing my Go-Jamboree necker.  So I need a new one.

Two nights away, so on  72 nights away now.

Mood:  happy

PLOP! 

J-W went by train to Gilwell Park on Friday, and I went too.

In evening J-W went to find his friend Becky on her sub-camp which was at the far end of the site from us!  But we found her at the Lid, so I jumped on her.  Becky had brought Plop to the MegaCamp, so I got talking with Plop, whilst J-W and Becky walked to her subcamp.  J-W was instructing archery to the cubs on the camp (about 1400).  He did about twelve hours on the range, so did I but I was topping up my suntan (J-W's mum reckons it was a dirt tan!).  Becky tried taking me home to visit Plop, but J-W would not let me go.  He did say I can go camping again in a week, and would see Plop next month

Two nights, so now on 70 nights away. 

Three nights away.

We went in a van on Friday afternoon and set up the camp for the dozen Cubs, who got to Gilwell by minibus in the evening.  They were up earily the next day.  The cubs seemed to keep disappearing up a twenty foot tree.  J-W had to lift a Cub into one of the trees, so the cub could get the football down.

We joined in the Camp fire run by the staff.  "This way, that way, across the Irish Sea" (J-W: Stop singing Zippy)

There were scouts from Itilia on site.

We went walking in the forest and visited a big 500 year old building on the plain by Chingford.  The walls had wood stuck in them!

We went on a miduim ropes course (see my pictures on Flickr).

The cubs all had to have a shower as they got really smoky cooking thier own lunches over open fires. 

J-W got a Gilwell pin badge for his hat.  His scarf got really dirty.

(68 nights away) 

J-W has not been putting my camp reports onto the blog for me, and I spent hours working on them!

In September we went to Bentley Copse for two nights with the Cubs and did a Camp where the Cubs were making things out of wooden poles and rope.

They also made a big a pile of leaves and were jumping over it.

It was a bit strange as we were using the dinning tent we took to Kandersteg, and their were no mountains outside it this time.

65 nights away.  Must be time for a badge! (J-W: Sorry Zippy, I know you spent a week working out the gap between the last two badges, but it is from 50 upwards where the gap stays the same, so another 10 nights to go) 

Went on a train to Dorking in Surrey last weekend, and then J-W and some scouts walked up to the top of Box Hill.  It was really windy, and J-W slipped over on the chalk under the trees!!!

The scouts were in charge of putting the tents up and all the cooking!!! 

It rained from about 2pm to about 5am.  The DofE's around us woke up and started to shout at about 5:30am, so I did think about going to borrow their maps, but it was too muddy to get out of my tent. 

 (one night)

J-W forgot to add another night away in Septempber, from Junior Service Crew at Bentley. (one night, so 63 in total)

Hello all, another delayed report from August.

Well eight days after the Jamboree J-W and I were off again.  Was a bit strange as we left after work on a Friday, and J-W had to get one of those books which means he does not have drink port each time he sees it. (J-W here, I've given up trying to explain passports to Zippy.)

We meet at a Guildford School with a load of scouts and explorers, J-W helped load the coach.  We travelled until the following afternoon, and the hills around where we camped, had grown a lot and had also got dandruft.  J-W says this is snow, as we were in Switzerland, but even I know you do not get snow in the middle of summer.

After we got off the boat, all the cars were on the wrong side of the roads.  Also the trains here are strange as they hang from wires and go up the mountains.

The animals here are all into music, most of them wear bells of different sizes, and they play them all the time every where.  Also it got cold an night and there were lots of stars in the sky,  called the milkyway (I think J-W is making that up).

J-W took me on a push scooter down the side of a mountain, which was good fun.  The crisp packets seem to react badly to the large hills, they kept blowing up like balloons.  The river was a funny blue colour. 

(9 nights away, so that's now 61 in total) 

Right J-W spent ages repacking his backbag, after we got back from Blackheath.  He had to go see the Beavers on Monday Evening, I went along and then we went to the 21st World Scout Jamboree on Tuesday 24th July. We came back on Thursday 9th August.  I meet all of the Gojamboree bugs, Little Sarahs friend who is a Beaver, and some other mascots from all over the world.  We also tried some of the different drinks which the humans were drinking (or not, ie how we got them).

Samwise was not too happy with the songs I was singing, so I got zipped up more than once.  Now these were songs and chants learnt from the other Gojammers at the D-weekend.

I stayed away from where J-W was working, as you needed to wear hi-vis' vests and that would have clashed with my camp blanket.  Also it was dryer to stay in his bag or tent.  The tent did get hot in the day time.

The other mascots liked my gojam necker.  Two others had been made for other mascots. 

Also as this was a sixteen night camp, I now have over 50 nights away, which is the next badge.  JW says I will not get another badge until next year now! I like this getting two badges in a month! (52 nights away)

P.S. JW said not to mention that he only got to drive at the Jamboree as he had towed before, and he was driving when the trailer got damaged, and put out of use.  So I will not being telling you about that. 

Right J-W has been busy so he's not been letting me on the PC to do my up dates.  Boo hiss!!

Friday 20th to 22nd July 2007.

We camped on Albury Heath at the Cricket Ground, as J-W was helping with the Albury Produce Show. We were in the light silver tent.

Two more nights away! So that's the next badge for me!! J-W even sewed it on my blanket on the Sunday evening. (36 nights away now)

J-W was not amused that it turns out he was handling metal poles one side of a large show tent, when a smaller tent the otherside was hit by lightening. 

Last weekend, J-W took me on the 1st Shalford Scout Group's Family Camp.

So two more nights away!!

So that's now 34 nights away.

We got wet on the Saturday as it rained on and off all of the day.  J-W got some interesting scars from testing out how safe the adventure course was in the rain.