Report By: Will Darby (Scout) |
COBDEN CYCLING SATURDAY 7th July 2002 |
Twice before I have turned up on a Saturday Morning to help with some scout activity and no scouts have turned up - never the less the leaders did the activity anyway. This time I prayed for no scouts, and then I would return home to bed and much needed sleep. NO SUCH LUCK!! I cursed the 8 scouts who appeared and who deliberately wanted to go on a bike ride. Damn them Scouts. The route - the old Cobden favourite instigated by Tommy Togs those years ago - a trip to Lyme park. Middlewood way was muddy as usual and, I am afraid to admit, it gets even more boring year on year. There wasn't even any speedy ventures to slipstream or have sprints against. How dull. The best I could do was say "mornin" in yorkshire accents to all our passers by. In total we passed 3 horses with riders, 6 pedestrians, 2 dogs and a woman with a pushchair. I know - Don't get too excited!! Anyway we soon got to higher poynton and the scouts favourite tuck shop. Scout Leaders who had forgotten lunch bought it there and Ben Tott climbed so high he couldn't get down. Team photos and ice creams for some and we were on our way again. Well Done main man Ian Corbishley for his new addition to the route - going from the car park-, which was much more interesting even though the scouts had to push their bikes and I ended up lifting them over the stile. We arrived at lyme park's Pott Shrigley gate and rode up to the top car park (Ian didn't do his share of the work at the front, in the lead group), then headed for lunch at the cage. With the majority of scouts managing to pedal their way up the path to the foot of the building. The weather was warm and we ate lunch discussing sandwich fillings. Apparently, you aren't allowed to cycle to the cage. We were dissappointed at not being able to see a sign telling us, but were greatly reassured when a solitary Lyme Park Ranger informed us that we shouldn't have done it and that people would have reported us if he hadn't got us. Never mind. We walked down and there was a million and one things he didn't catch us doing. Step forward the "Mad Climber". So having struggled up the ascent we had to enjoy a slow walk down, but despite this there was still a crash at the bottom of the hill. HMM..Strange, I agree. We cycled back up the tarmac road back towards the coffee shop and the stage went to Diddy Fidido with an impressive counter attack and solo breakaway. Cup of Tea for the leaders bought by the Spoon who'd arranged such a cycle event. Then a bit more time spent while the scouts played on the playground which now lacks the Zip line and the monster slide, I am told. Out of the park by the west Gate -Ian delivered wood here once!! and then down the hill towards the canal. Once on the canal everyone was told single file and to stick by the canal. 5 of the scouts veered off the canal at one point - they didn't even give an excuse but caused a five minute delay while we waited for them. The "Safety cycle" was brought out at the front of the group at the leaders request to prevent the group splitting up. Some scouts didn't like this and called the rider of the safety cycle all sorts of terrible names for just doing his job. What a shame. Back in Marple came the highlight of the show with John Jay Dawsons incredible navigation of Marple utilising all his years and knowledge of cut throughs and short cuts. Back an hour early was good and some how we even got sunburnt, I was just glad it didn't rain. Scouts gave it around 8/9 out of 10, said it was the funnest experience they'd ever had. One summed it up with the word "Amazing" and another said "Alex's shorts". A scout was commissioned to write a report and we live in hope of reading it. The 9. Adam Dykins Neil Alan Ross Donald Ross Alex Wicks Ben Tott Will Derby Nathan Fidler Alex Molowko Leaders/Fools Ian "Why did you come back?" Corbisjley Andrew "Loved it, absolutely loved it" Tognarelli (Guest Writer) John Jay "The feasts are on me" Dawson. Same again next year then? |
Report By: Will Darby (Scout) |
Report by Will Darby, PL of Tigers, Cobden On Saturday 6th July Cobden Scouts had a bike ride along the Middlewood way. At Higher Poynton we stopped off for an ice-cream. As usual, Alex Wicks turned up late! We had lunch at the cage in Lyme Park. Ben Tott climbed all over the cage. As we were leaving, Allan Ross did a 180 flip, with the bike on top of him, and his leg in the air. He was lucky to only get a few scrapes and grazes. The weather stayed dry, and we had a great day out. |
