Challenging times for Borders BB campers

After tea on arrival, the boys took part in a series of five-minute challenges which included long-range target darts, four square ball skills, water ballooning the commanding officer, extreme rock-paper-scissors and a hockey scramble game.

The Sunday morning service was led by Alistair Clipston and in the afternoon the youngsters visited the beach for a clear view of an air show which included the Red Arrows.

On return to camp team competitions began with uni-hoc.

The first of the daily challenges – a sumo wrestling contest – took place on the Monday. This was followed by the start of the indoor games competition and football during the afternoon.

On the following day the boys had to climb from the top of a table, go under it and back on to the top without touching the ground – Bryce Hume, Blain Halfpenny, Nikki Stavert and Robert Fox successfully completed the challenge, while good attempts were made by Jardine Vevers and Callum Murray.

It was off to Blackpool for the afternoon, with most choosing the indoor water park, shops and amusements.

The blindfold round-up game was Wednesday’s challenge. One team member had to give instructions to the others, enabling them to navigate while blindfolded towards a roped-off area. Because of a poor weather forecast, proceedings continued with indoor games and, at Kirkham Splash Pool, it was swimming and water polo.

The Thursday challenge was ‘catching the train’. Everyone stood in a circle, except one person who was in the middle. By facial expressions and sound, he had to tell where the ‘train’ was in the circle.

The weather improved in the afternoon and the camp Olympics/Highland games took place.

The last whole day at the camp – Friday – heralded the final challenge – a frantic chair-swapping circle game. The finals of the indoor games competition were held in the morning, with boys competing in table tennis, dominoes, Connect 4, draughts, Frustration and Jenga.

Most of the campers went to Blackpool for the afternoon, visiting the amusements, gift shops and burger bars.

When they returned they found most of the camp had been packed up, and the furniture in the marquee rearranged to create an arena for the evening’s talent show – the ‘Beanfeast.’

The entertainment included peeling grapefruit wearing gloves, Ciaran Wood getting a cream pie in the face, a bagpipe medley from Harry Scott, singing from Max Turnbull, Hannah Turnbull and Andrew Baxter, and a bucket filling race. There was also catching Maltesers in the mouth.

After the show awards were handed out – indoor games – Callum Murray; runner-up, Hannah Turnbull; best tent – tent no. 1 (6th Hawick – Scott Landles, Fraser Renwick and Harry Scott); senior sportsman (joint winners of the Taddei cup) – Bryce Hume and Robert Fox; junior sportsman – Finlay Douglas; runner-up, Sam Shepherd; best team – team 4 (Sam Shepherd, Liam Riley, Colby Wylie, Andrew Baxter, Blane Halfpenny).

Before the 2018 campers ate their last breakfast together, they listened to the final ‘Drum Head Service’ from camp chaplain Alasdair Clipston.

The BB officers who attended camp were Rory Campbell (commanding officer), Colin Grieve, Dean Anderson, Harris Campbell (2nd Hawick), Dougie Turnbull (1st Hawick), Alasdair Clipston, Richard Crawford, Callum Riddle (2nd Galashiels), Keith Anderson, Kieran Wally and Ian Baxter (5th Hawick).

z The picture shows the campers with the lorry loaned by Borders heating engineers Turnbull & Scott to transport their equipment.