Summer Camp 2011
Penn Wood nr Stroud, Gloucestershire 10th-21st August 2011
This was a happy relaxed camp about which we have received some very positive feedback. Penn Wood is a small District site for which there is no service team and we were able to make a significant impact in helping Stroud and Tetbury Scouts to develop the site. At the same time there was plenty of opportunity to explore the area around the site. Though the weather was not brilliant it was warm during the day and we only had the occasional shower. Highlights that we recall include : -
- A marquee with a concrete floor – no carpets to scrub this time.
- A new system of coloured tea towels, aprons and hand towels – the pink aprons were very fetching.
- Roger and Gill’s Ruby Wedding with splendid cake and a new tin mug for Roger.
- The biggest cook tent ever.
- Clean well serviced portaloos.
- Hard working teams, as ever, of cooks and project workers.
- A well-appointed wooden site cabin with a dead grass roof (that made the site difficult to locate on Google Earth).
Main Tasks
The main tasks completed were : -
- Construction of activity / traversing wall with removable boards (but not climbing holds or wing nuts for boards). Also including storage rack behind cabin for boards.
- Construction of camp fire seating and fire base. Also a camp fire wood pile.
- Construction/concreting of six anchor points for pioneering projects.
- Clearance of various areas under trees in order to open up the site and make it more Beaver and Cub friendly.
- Clearing "jungle" along eastern boundary and concreting in of marker poles for future fence.
Other tasks
Other tasks we tackled included : -
- Insulation of hot and cold water pipes in ladies and gents toilets.
- Laying of extra slabs to right of main door of cabin.
- Removal of metal rubbish to tip (but not fire grills and tables).
- Clearance of two areas at west end of site for hike campers.
- Tidying / organising of main wood pile.
- Tidying area at back of cabin.
- Clearance of ash trees around young beech trees near Cotswold Way gate. Wood distributed between main wood pile and camp fire wood pile.
- Toilet roll holders fitted in all cubicles.
- Removal of redundant water standpipe behind cabin.
Man-days
The rounded man-days of direct effort were as follows : -
Traversing wall - 40
Campfire circle - 10
Pioneering anchors - 5
Site clearance - 45
Direct support - 20
Total 120 man-days (across 6 work days)