YOUTH CLUB VISIT TO FORDINGBRIDGE

On the last Bank Holiday weekend in May, St George's Youth Club went on their annual visit to Fordingbridge. There were three Youth Leaders and ten children.

On the Friday night everyone collected at Glendene where all the bikes and most of the luggage were loaded into a marvellous enclosed trailer loaned from the Pearce family. As we drove down to the New Forest we eyed the broken clouds uneasily. We needed good weather for our programme and the fitful sun seemed to be laughing at us.

We arrived at Fordingbridge church hall around nine o'clock to be met by Peter and Eileen Oades, Rosemary Monk's parents, who always smooth our visit by fixing everything. The Vicar, Tim Deakin, came in to welcome us. We unpacked and had a seventeenth birthday celebration for Chloe with games, cake and hot chocolate. In no time it was after eleven and we got ready for bed. All the young's sleeping apparatus down one side of the hall and oldster's on the other. I won't dwell on the squeaks, whispers, rustles and tapping that went onŒ. suffice it to say eventually everyone slept.

We were up surprisingly early the following morning had breakfast and made our picnicsŒwho was it who had peanut butter and strawberry jam?? Then off we went with our enormous trailer to Moors Valley Country Park. Everyone went round the bike tracks in groups returning to make sure Jane was all right at the central spot. (What a hard job, sitting in the sun with a newspaper and first aid kit!!) We did have a couple of showers when most people piled into the trailer. Luckily it was fine for the picnic. Then we walked the Play trails. When everyone was exhausted we went back to the hall and rested up for a while. We had to have the barbecue at the hall as the glebe field was soaking. The trailer came into its own again as we put its back up to form a shelter at the back door of the hall and put the barbecues under it. Perfect! We played games and were all in bed by eleven. Less noise that nightŒ..all that exercise.

On the Sunday morning we went to the service at the church in Fordingbridge. We were made most welcome at the door and during the service and everyone said how they had enjoyed it. Abbie, Chloe and Tash were asked to take up the offertory and did so most efficiently.

On our way home we stopped at Longdown Activity Farm. It was an interesting afternoon. We had a drive behind a tractor, helped to feed baby goats and calves, held chicks, rabbits, ducks and piglets. There was a barn with slides and trampolines in the hay.

We set off for home at about 4 pm and all agreed it was a full and varied weekend.

JANE RICE-OXLEY