Hilltop Residential, Congo Class

And so, it has finally happened!  No one was poorly, and we all made it in one piece, despite two of us desperate for the toilet when we were five minutes’ drive from our destination. 

And the weather forecast seems to be in our favour too. It’s been mild all day today. We have found our rooms and put our quilts and sleeping bags on our beds. 

Once we’d had our packed lunches (outside, as it was so mild), we began our first activity, the Air Drop!  Nothing like starting with a bang!  The ethos at Hilltop is Challenge by Choice, and feeling comfortable enough in our comfort zone to step outside it a little. And Congo Class didn’t half do this today. Every single person, not only challenged themselves, but also cheered on and encouraged someone else. We now know that Ted and Nancy have no fear, and can casually walk off an eight metre drop, while Mrs Tooley and I can only stare in utter disbelief!

The assault course afterwards was in the woods. It was dirty, some of it was dark, it was challenging but all great fun. Ms Perry’s favourite moment was being Tarzan on the rope swing across the muddy water. Gino didn’t actually believe it when we were told that the tunnel was actually pitch dark!

We had our dinner – fish and chips, with jam pudding and custard. We couldn’t eat any more if we’d tried. We all now know how to scrape plates and wipe tables, so there’ll be no excuse when we get back home!

And, as if we didn’t have enough packed into our day, we’ve just had our enchanted walk, with warm jackets and torches at the ready. You really can’t beat wide games in a dark forest on a very mild evening. 

After a brief chat in the common room, we’ve finally called it a day. We’re very excited about the bacon and waffles for tomorrow’s breakfast. Yummy!