Driving Test

On Wednesday 19th February I went to Chippenham test center where I successfully passed my Driving Test!

— Ethan Rose (@Ethanol_Rose) February 19, 2014

Ten Tors Training - The Quantocks

On Saturday 8th February I took part in the second Ten Tors training of the year. We had originally intended to go to the Black Mountains but due to the met office issuing an amber severe weather warning it was decided on the Thursday before, that we would move to the lower Quantock hills.

We left school at around 7.30am and had an approximately two hour journey down to the Quantocks. After a bit of a slow start, we soon got moving over the hills whilst the weather was nice, if a bit windy of the top of some ridges. The weather stayed nice for most of the morning but as we came off some of the more exposed hills onto a wooded path we got caught in a very heavy rain storm which then turned into hail.
After the rain storm passed, he headed down through some fields and then back up to some moor-like land on the other side of the valley where we met Mr Brewer. He told us to be quick across ridge that we had to walk across because it was about to rain and become even windier. When we got to the other side of the ridge, we went down into a valley following a stream, and then back up the other side. We then came off the moor-like area and followed some paths down to a park where we met Mr Stewart and some other teachers. We then went down into a valley following the side of a forest and up the other side as it started to rain. By the time we reached the car park at the top where the minibuses were parked the rain was coming down very hard, we then got on the buses and left at between 2pm and 3pm.

IST South West Selection Day

On Sunday 2nd February I took part in the selection day for IST/JPT in the South West. To read the full write up of this event, please visit my sperate blog which is specifically dedicated to the 23rd World Scout Jamboree 2015 in Japan - http://ethanjambojapan.tumblr.com/

Ten Tors Training - The Mendips

On Saturday 25th January I took part in the first Ten Tors training of the year.
We met at school just before 8am and departed for the Mendips just after. The drive took slightly longer than expected due to some closed roads but we left the minibuses and started walking at about 9.20am.

Our route took us all around the Mendips, first by heading East, and then South Weston along a ridge into Cheddar, where we then turned North before doing some small loops, and heading back to near where we started.
We finished the walk at almost exactly 4 and arrived back at school approximately an hour later.

Bathampton Scouts Sleepover at Grove Street and Chip Shop Challenge Jan 2014

On Friday 18th January the scouts had a 'chip shop challenge'. This was where the scouts went around the chip shops of Bath, judging the chips on taste, crispiness and price. I wen't with Katie's patrol (Eagles) and we decided that the best chips were from Schwartz Bros. on Walcot street, however this was partially because they gave us chips for free.
After the challenge, the scouts went the Bath District Scouts HQ at Grove Street in the centre of town.where they ate cake, watched Toy Tory 3, and slept over.

Bathampton Scouts Night Hike 2013

On the night of Friday 8th November, we ran our annual sponsored night hike for the scouts, with all profits going towards new equipment and other things than benefit the running of the group.

As usual we started from the HQ, however this year, instead of following the Bath Skyline walk, they hiked through Marshfield, towards the M4, and back again.

The young leader (Tom, Ashley and I), along with Rosie, followed the scouts along the route until we reached Marshfield and about midnight when I had to leave due to having work the next morning.

Coast 2 Coast 2013

On 5th October I took part in the school's 'Coast 2 Coast Challenge'. This is where we cycle from Illfracombe, on the north coast of Devon, to Plymouth on the south coast from dawn to dusk - a ride which is advertised as being a 3 day trip. The ride was very successful and we were faster than the previous two groups who had attempted to challenge in the last two years. Below are the details of the ride which I recorded on my phone, and the write up of the challenge from the school's Wednesday letter.

DEVON CYCLE CHALLENGE MET BY BEECHEN CLIFF BOYS
Twenty one pupils took on this year’s cycle challenge to cross Devon, North to South in a day. As usual the Friday night was spent at a hostel in Ilfracombe to ensure that the 7.30am start time could be made the following morning. After a good journey down the boys raided the fast food outlets of the town to ‘carbo load’ before their efforts of taking on the 102 miles and 9000ft of ascent provided by the route. As staff plotted the location of support vehicles and access to the Beechen Cliff peloton the following day, the boys drifted to bed by 10:00pm.

A 6:00am start saw Weetabix and bananas for breakfast followed with liberal portions of chocolate spread on toast. The boys quietly sorted their bikes being aware not to wake nearby residents. That was until the inner tube on Miles Lloyd’s bike burst in spectacular fashion, echoing across the harbour like a gun shot. So much for stealth!

The mass start assembled and at 7:30am on the dot the journey started to the bemusement of tourists
catching an early coach from their hotel, as 30 pupils and staff cycled past. The first hour saw the group into Braunton after spectacular views across Woolacombe beach towards South Wales. The Tarka trail around the Taw estuary was picked up with the high tide and calm weather allowing for mirrored reflections of the surrounding hills. It also became apparent that this was a fast group as the E.T.A at Great Torrington was broken by an hour, a pacey start. Could it carry on as the hills and undulations of mid Devon made their presence felt?

Punctures punctuated the leg between Great Torrington and Hatherleigh before the steep downhill drop into Okehampton for lunch of a hot pasty, still ahead of schedule. A steep ascent out of Okehampton ensured the pasties did not sit comfortably in the stomach as the Granite Way was gained. This is a stunning stretch of cycle track, skirting the west side of a brooding Dartmoor with clear views across the Tamar valley into Cornwall. This was busy with other cyclists who turned to look when hearing 60 tubular tyres humming across the tarmac towards them. The pace was still quick and the boys sensed that the last climb of Brent Tor signified the ‘breaking’ of the route if they did not break first!

A grin inducing downhill ride to Tavistock saw the group gain the Drakes Trail, the remaining 20 miles to be on cycle track. A last ‘top up’ at the buses at Yelverton saw energy levels replenished for the final push to Plymouth Hoe. A puncture for Ben Goodman meant that he and Mr Moat stayed back and had to watch the peloton sweep onwards. Would they be able to regain their place for a group sprint finish? With the help of a bridge swing in the Barbican Harbour in Plymouth they did and en masse the Beechen Cliff cyclists invaded Plymouth Hoe under a beautiful blue evening sky. Ten hours of cycling behind them.

A big well done to all pupils and staff involved. Hopefully a good sum of money has been raised for the charity ‘Help for Heroes’. We hope for more success next year when a new bunch of budding cyclists will attempt this fantastic Devon test route.

Mr D Brewer 
Trip Coordinator