WS2017

Saturday 5^th August saw us assembling with three thousand other Guides and Scouts at Ardingly Agricultural Showgrounds for WS 2017. We camped with 12 Guides from Haywards Heath and four Guiders in a small campsite which was part of the Hufflepuff Subcamp 

The theme was Harry Potter and at the opening ceremony a Hogwarts Express train steamed out of a special enclosure to the central assembly area (Diagon Alley.) We were part of the opening parade and had the honour of raising the South African flag in the Diagon Alley. 

Every day the Guides got to do two groups of exciting activities from the following categories:

Lake and Boathouse – our group got to do rafting

Performing arts – including stilt walking, circus skills, music, drama, dance

Craft and science

Tower of Hogwarts (High adventure) including wall climbing, bungi trampoline, zip line, caving

Wheels and motors

It’s a knockout

Country persuits including falconry, archery, clay pigeon shooting, brick laying, branding, whittling, making dampers and blacksmithery.

Sport and International.

On the Tuesday evening was International night where each visiting country performed some entertainment from their country. We did a series of dances, two Volkspele and two Zulu dances. We also had to provide a taste of South African food and we went for rusks dipped in coffee.

On the Wednesday was the Muggles Charity fair where each unit had to run a stall for visiting brownies, cubs and younger members. Unfortunately it rained heavily that day and the whole fair had to be run in a huge agricultural hall. It was a geat success however and over nine thousand pounds was raised for charity.

All too soon closing ceremony arrived and the following day we had to say goodbye to all our new friends and dismantle  the camp. However, those seven days of WS 2017 will remain in our memories forever and will become stories we tell about when the Waverley Guides went to WS 2017

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