2023 Year 6 Residential: Headed for Hautbois

Having narrowly avoided packing Mr Burrett into the luggage compartment, our Year 6s were waved on their way by our Nursery children. After a painless (yes really) four hour journey, our coachload of excited children and staff finally arrived at Hautbois Activity Centre in Norfolk. We decamped the coach and carried our luggage down to the shepherds huts, which were nice and clean, and ready to be our home from home for the next few nights. After a quick debrief on what we were going to do next, the children got themselves ready for their first activities of raft building, bridge building and night climb. Without a moment’s pause our intrepid adventurers headed off towards the activities with huge excitement, many of them quite openly hoping to push Mr Groves into the river!

Within mere minutes they were absolutely soaking wet and up to their eyeballs in rafting and bridge-building. Poor Mr Groves, with his aging eyesight, couldn’t tell the difference between waterlilies, pondweed and children. At time of writing he remains unscathed and dry, but no doubt this will soon change!

Further along the river, we could hear cheers of laughter and cries of joy from the children, accompanied by the sound of Madame Steed screaming at the top of her voice as she was soaked to the skin by the children, who were gleefully splashing her from every conceivable direction. So far, Mr Burrett has managed to evade the water – who will be first in, him or Mr Groves? Place your bets now!

Warm showers, a hearty dinner and (hopefully) a good night’s sleep await our St Faithians, before another day of exciting adventures.