world camp

World Camp UK Week 1

What a lovely first evening…it’s going to be a great week!

Monday, 10th July

The day of all days.

We started our first morning bright and early, with the ultimate breakfast of eggs and muffins, yum yum.
This geared us up ready for our very first, annual DODGEBALL TOURNAMENT.
The groups were great showing some amazing moves; dodging at every angles, catching and eliminating everyone around.
the staff are in need of an improvement session. But we will come back stronger than ever. Watch this space.
We then started our morning activities which consisted of ace den building, some of most unbelievable dens we’ve seen! They had many luxurious extras like hot tubs, rock pets and beautiful gardens.
In sport we defiantly put the ultimate in ultimate frisbee, throwing far and wide. The non bib team beating the others by 5 goals to 1.
In creative we put our moulding skills into test, creating pots, themed with faces on them. They turned out amazing and are drying, ready for plants, jewellery, or anything you like!
After this fun-filled morning we were treated to the ultimate curry for our lunch, cooked by Nobby the extraordinaire, we enjoyed this; replenished our energy ready for the afternoons events.
After getting our bellies filled some of us headed off for our first English class! We made posters all about ourselves, our countries, our favourite foods and our flags. The rain stopped us playing inside but we still did animal games to introduce ourselves, saying our name, our favourite animal and passing it along to the next person.
Our sport consisted of two huge games of bench ball, there was some serious competitiveness between the campers and the tutors.
The adventure was some serious boat building! We had to build a floatation device that survived the stormiest seas, which were tried and testing in the camp bucket. Every ship bar one survived our test, we were pleased to announce.
For dinner we enjoyed scrumptious sausage rolls, potatoes and extras!
This was needed for the money night Ice-breaker games! The chubby bunny contest was particularly tense; coming to the fine lines which left one champion with 14 marshmallows! We also did our very popular trash bag fashion show, where we saw outfits better than Gucci has ever headlined.
Of course we ended with the egg drop, a tense completion which saw many of our eggs scrambled….
Tonight we head to sleep happy with hot chocolate, ready for the next day ahead.

Tuesday 11th July

Our morning feast of grilled sausage and tomato awoke our campers appetites and minds to the excitement that awaited them on the dodgeball court.

With sprinting, dipping, and snipes galore, morning dodgeball was another sight to behold. Whether it be a campers vs students match or the classic 1 v 1, no mercy was granted. As usual, our star-stopping campers won against the staff, and did so with smiles on their faces.

The choice of a lifetime awaited the children as they picked between their sport, adventure and creative activity, each as tempting as the last.

First on the agenda was extreme deep pool scuba-diving with the legendary Scuba Steve!! Strapped with an oxygen tank on their back and enthusiasm in their heart, our campers explored the tiled depths of Aysgarth’s waters. A first time for many, it really was an experience for them all to remember.

Our English-learners took their time in recollecting their scuba experience in English. They also began planning the recipes of their favorite food for an exciting L&E bake-off held by the children themselves. Fun and linguistic talent met in the L&E English classroom and history made as usual.

British-history was made in the morning session of cricket, with wickets flying. Led by a cricket connoisseur himself, the kids really learned the true essence of the game. Ashes fever gripped the camp and really was a magnificent set of moments for all. With a specific game of Bazz-Ball and rounders on the side.

Simultaneously, loom jewelry was in the crafting and friendship brackets in the making. Many of the children also painted jewelry boxes to hold their new-found treasures. Colour Schemes were popping!!

Lunch in their bellies, the children headed back out for their second round of fun. Our budding athletes found themselves on the football pitch, scoring goals with every step they took. It was their ‘one love’ as Bob Marley would tell us.

Famous painting recreation was happening in our art studio, with mini Picasso’s showcasing their skill. A plethora of art pieces were on show, ‘The Scream’, Pop Art, and Hokusai on offer. Some may argue that our kids adaptations were more impressive; Mike Wazowski found himself in a Banksy work!!

Wilderness instinct was awoken in our campfire starting adventure, as the kids lined the fire with rocks and kindling ready for their marshmallows arrival later that night.

Speaking of the campfire, it was unforgettable as the legend tells. With our new tutors serenading us with their no1 talents, the fire side became a safe space for new friendship to blossom and music to be shared. The children were encouraged to share their respective cultural national anthems and they adored group bonding in their own home values. We roasted marshmallows as the sun set and the night came to a close with a hot chocolate and a chat.

Here’s to another great day under the Bedale sun!!

Wednesday 12th July

Merry Wednesday everybody! There’s no such thing as a hump day here at L&E, and with the camp ablaze with excitement after last night’s campfire delights, we arose with a spring in our step to tackle the day ahead. The Webster’s dictionary defines pancakes as ‘a flat cake made of thin batter and cooked (as on a griddle) on both sides’ – but we’d describe it as the breakfast of champions, and a camp full of champions is exactly what we are. Invigorated by the energy of Nobby’s finest flat cakes, we floated onwards to dodgeball.

If tickets were available to watch the campers vs tutors dodgeball displays so far this week, they would sell out even quicker than Taylor Swift’s era tour tickets (which came out this week). Unfortunately, today was not the same. The kids may have had pancakes for breakfast but judging by their incredible dodgeball performance, they must have been full of beans!The tutors have decided to remove Kenny as their dodgeball leader, with Sam Allardyce on the next train to Aysgrath to turn the ship around.

The selection of activities this morning is best described as a smorgasbord of sheer delight. Our English class of superstars solved riddles in the great outdoors, and played a bafta award worthy board game. For the first time this week, a lucky collection of campers went on an expedition to the Yorkshire (home of the rhubarb triangle) waterways. Canoeing the name. Fun the game. For those feeling sporty, a touch of tag rugby was on the menu. And last, but most certainly not the least, is our creative class. Think Krakatoa. Think Vesuvius. Think Eyjafjallajökull Then Take everything you have ever known about volcanoes, scrunch it up and chuck it in the bin. Because what our creative students created this morning arguably eclipsed all volcanoes before. Papier Mache, sculptures around bottles of a popular carbonated soft drink, with a popular mint dropped in, formed an explosion to end all explosions.

We had chicken burgers for lunch, yet that was not the most important aspect of the hour. We had TWO birthdays to celebrate, for Annelicia and Rose. Lionel Richie was playing, happy birthday was sung and chocolate cake was devoured. It was a privilege for us all to play a part in making sure the two campers had a wonderful day.

In 1998 Gina Gee came 2^nd for the United Kingdom in Eurovision. Her song featured the lyric “Just a little bit more” – and we took that exact approach to our adventure activities today! Canoe, round two, electric boogaloo. We also constructed some bracelets and jewellery in creative, and had a whale of a time playing water polo in the pool on sport.

Post dinner, lasagne Bolognese in case you were wondering, we sauntered down to the theatre for a bit of a chillax and a Disney classic. Big Hero 6  for our big bunch of hero’s, before hot chocolate and bed.

What a day. What a week. What a summer. We go again tomorrow.

Thursday 13th July

The day started with our morning fill of beans and French toast, giving much energy to our campers for the day ahead.

With our spectacular sports hall back in action, our campers wasted no time and immediately got stuck in our traditional morning game of dodgeball. Our tutors fought valiantly in the battle for victory in the most prestigious game here at L&E, but our campers were of course triumphant at last.

Our budding adventurers set off early for a morning of climbing. Courageous climbers they were, as they conquered the boulder wall in front of them in their stride.

Our imaginative artists meanwhile designed printing blocks and produced colourful prints which could give Picasso a run for his money. From Deadpool to Batman, all their artwork was lifelike and impressive.

Our aspiring linguists embarked on a quest to become Britain’s next top baker, as they followed detailed instructions from our judges to bake the most delectable cheesecakes and muffins.

Our well-loved water polo session also made a comeback, with our talented campers competing with each other for the honour of becoming the best athlete on the water.

The camp then got treated to a mouth-watering lunch of grilled chicken and cous cous. Good reviews all around and bellies filled, our campers headed to their afternoon activities.

Our athletes partook in a game of jailbreak in tennis, and ended the session in a riveting game of football.

Meanwhile our artists created the most realistic masks for our biggest event of the week – Disney theme night!

After dinner we immediately got knee deep in one of L&E’s most beloved evening activities, theme night! Tonight’s theme was Disney, with our tutors starting off with a rap battle. Our campers then continued on to playing a series of mini games, from a basketball battle with Troy and a treasure hunt, to picking out mozzarella balls from Ratatouille’s pasta and archery with Merida and Robin Hood, our campers really enjoyed their night in the world of fantasy.

With a terrific performance of Let it Go from our tutors, the Disney theme night drew to a close. Under the spell of hot chocolate, our sleeping beauties headed towards Wonderland; getting recharged and ready for another fun-packed day of adventure.

Friday 14th July

It was a cloudy day as we woke up to our final day with Nobby as our wonderful chef of the week. A nutritious breakfast of toast and eggs fuelled a competitive game of dodgeball. Once again, the campers reigned supreme, not without a spirited fight back from the tutors.

It was an enticing smorgasbord of morning activities to choose from. Campfire cooking involved making delicious choco-bananas and damper bread. Some skills were on show for indoor hockey and basketball, appropriate for the impending rain. Some more baked goods were made in English, learning the ingredients and instructions for cheesecake and cupcakes. Lastly, our musically instincts were put to the test with Just Dance and karaoke.

 Nobby delighted us for lunch with an all-time British favourite in fish and chips. Seconds were definitely had! This was followed by a surprise announcement for an afternoon of team sports. 

Competing for camp sporting glory were Brazil, Mexico, Thailand and Antarctica. After archery and a swim relay, Thailand came out as front runners. Meanwhile, some nail-biting games were being played out in the table football and bench-ball arenas. Thailand’s lead was narrowing. Final rounds of football, basketball and a team flag judging contest lead to a three-way tie between Thailand, Brazil and Mexico. Tie-breaking rules came into play, leading to the declaration of the champion as…..BRAZIL!!!

After free/swim time, paninis and ice cream were served followed by a standing ovation to Nobby and Michael for feeding us tasty meals all week.

Then the anticipation grew. The famed L&E Oscars Night, where legends become immortal. Black tie attire was a recommended optional, before being ushered into the theatre of dreams. There were loud cheers and applause for all nominees and award winners as well as brave performers. To cap off the night, a disco for the ages, with classics, bangers and possibly a dance floor injury or two. Get well soon Paul.

There was a lot of excitement at bedtime, partly post-Oscars buzz, partly for the day-trip tomorrow. See you soon, York.

Our End of Week Montage!

Saturday 15th July

Sunday 16th July

L&E Scholarship: Michael

“When Michael was first adopted I struggled with his behaviour. He was shy, introverted & unwilling to engage. He thrived with Learn & Experience!”

We are delighted to announce that one of our World Camp scholarship recipients, Michael has been accepted on a funded place to Durham School as a Full-time Boarder.

Michael first attended L&E World Camps in 2016. His adopted mother, Laura writes how this has influenced his life…

Can you tell us about Michael before he came to L&E World Camps?

Before L&E Michael was very shy, introverted and usually unwilling to engage in sports or physical activities. It certainly brought him out of his shell with the encouragement of the staff.

Would you have been able to send Michael to L&E without the scholarship?

Without the scholarship I wouldn’t have been able to afford to send Michael to L&E.

What has Michael gained from attending L&E World Camps?

Michael gained confidence and friendship.  I don’t think Michael would be as accepting of learning new skills if he hadn’t attended L&E. He speaks fondly of making new friends from around the world. 

It’s also helped Michael grow into a stronger character of himself after coming through many adversities in his younger life being an adopted child.

What are some of Michael’s (and your) favourite memories of L&E?

His favourite memory was when he learnt canoeing and because of this he joined the rowing team at Durham School and is loving it.   

My favourite memory was opening up the L&E Facebook page every morning to see all the photographs taken the previous day of their activities. I downloaded every photo with Michael in it so he could explain to me, when he got home, what they were doing in the photo’s so I could share his memories.

Has L&E made a difference to Michael’s life?

Without a doubt, if he hadn’t spent the past 5 years attending L&E World Camps we wouldn’t have been able to show how well Michael would settle into life in a boarding school environment. The way Michael has settled into boarding school is a testament of how well he took to staying away from home for 2 weeks at a time with Learn & Experience.

Would you recommend Learn & Experience?

I would recommend Sam and his organisation in a heart beat.

When Michael was first adopted I struggled with his behaviour. Not once did you!! Speaks volumes for how well you give children with difficult backgrounds an amazing experience! 

Sierra’s L&E Journey

“I quickly realised how inclusive the camp was”

Over the past 10 years we have had hundreds of children come to spend their summers with us and with each child comes a story, this is Sierra’s story.  Sierra is from Kentucky in the USA and first came to L&E at the age of 14 in 2014.  Her grandmother Denise made the trip up north to drop Sierra off at camp as she lives in London and Sierra spends her summers there.  After being bullied and picked on at school Denise wanted her granddaughter to grow up knowing that she didn’t need to “conform” and feel the need to try and “fit in”.  Sierra describes how nervous she was about coming to camp as she thought she would be an outsider being the only American.  She very quickly realised how inclusive the camp was and how her nationality or background didn’t matter.  Sierra later described the best part of L&E was the way in which she was able to interact with everyone regardless of age, gender or background.

“learn the art of travel in a safe and supportive environment”

The following year, as well as coming back to camp for 2 weeks Sierra, along with 5 other teenagers from across Europe booked onto the Teen Travel UK trip.  Teen Travel is a unique programme for 15 & 16 year olds which allows teenagers to learn the art of travel in a safe and supportive environment.  Sierra describes Teen Travel as “helping her with real life problems” and although she learns a lot from her parents about how to budget and organise transportation it isn’t the same as “experiencing it for yourself”.  Living and travelling with others is all about compromise and Sierra found this to be a big part of the trip.  Knowing that what one person wanted wasn’t the only thing that mattered and it was the whole group that needed to agree – “teamwork makes the dreamwork!”  Furthermore, being accountable and learning valuable practical skills translated into Sierra having the ability to navigate the international journey to camp each year.

“the L&E experience has been a game changer for Sierra”

Speaking about the overall effects L&E had on Sierra, she expressed that the experiences she gained from the multiple programmes she attended prepared her for college largely due to being exposed to people from different cultural and religious backgrounds.  Without these experiences she felt that her transition to college would have been “difficult”.

We asked Denise to try and sum up how she felt L&E had effected her granddaughter…“the L&E experience has been a game changer for Sierra.  She owns and rocks her self-confidence with ease and grace.  That confidence is no longer predicated on the “if they like me”; it is now firmly rooted in the “I will be fine if they don’t”.  Her view of the world and its infinite possibility is tremendously expansive.  She clearly understands that living life is about the journey, as the destination is just a marker at a point in time and ever changing.”

“an absolute pleasure playing a part in Sierra’s journey”

Sierra is currently undertaking an undergraduate course at the University of Kentucky in Animal Science and Technology and her goal is to become a veterinarian, and if you ask her grandmother she will describe this as her “destiny”.

It has been an absolute pleasure playing a part in Sierra’s journey and we wish her all the very best for the future and hope to see her back at L&E one day…perhaps wearing an orange polo shirt!

Full Testimonial from Sierra’s Grandmother

Sierra’s summer experiences with L&E made a tremendous impact on her self-esteem and sense of being.  Meeting, mixing, and bonding with young people from all over the world helped her to establish a real sense of belonging and an understanding of the privilege and responsibility that comes with being a citizen of the world.

L&E creates a microcosm that consistently exemplifies what real community is.  In this space, the young people are able flourish without judgement or ridicule or constraining social norms.  Kind consideration for one another is the underlying vibe or mantra.

With this as a foundation for her summer experiences, Sierra has been able to fully explore what being the best version of self looks like, feels like, and sounds like.  Her experiences with the extra activity (horse riding) helped her “find” her true passion.  The encouragement from the instructors and the opportunities she had to bond with the horses simply sealed her destiny.  Sierra will work with animals – full stop.

Before going to L&E she was being bullied and picked on at school.  The decision to send her to L&E was purely predicated on the fact that we did not want her to grow up feeling like she needed to conform or “be like” just so she could “fit it”.

When we arrived day-1 of her first year; I was helping her unpack and group of girls popped around the corner asking her name and where she was from.  Sierra froze and said nothing, so I did all the introductions.  I remember thinking “come on Sie get out there” and then I just left the room.  Within 5 minutes, she and the entire group came bouncing down the stairs and she was on her way.

As it turns out, her experiences with L&E have been gateway experiences.  Every summer when she returned from camp, she was more confident and secure and capable with a very grounded sense ofwho she is and what she wants from life.

As a part of teem travel, her self-awareness expanded even more.  Teen travel is a truly unique experience because it deems them fully accountable for what happens next.  It becomes a good experience only if they work to make if a good experience – as a team they plan, organise, budget, etc.  The fact that they are responsible for every single aspect of the allows them to make very adult decisions being fully accountable for the outcome.  The practical skills learned as a part of Teen Travel meant that we were more confident in her ability to navigate the international journey to camp every year.

The L&E experience has been a game changer for Sierra.  She owns and rocks her self-confidence with ease and grace.  That confidence is no longer predicated on the “if they like me”; it is now firmly rooted in the “I will be fine if they don’t”.  Her view of the world and its infinite possibility is tremendously expansive.  She clearly understands that living life is about the journey, as the destination is just a marker at a point in time and ever changing.

I can never in 1,000 years thank the L&E team enough.

Denise BB, October 2018

Full Interview with Sierra

1: How did you feel about coming to camp before you arrived?

When I first found out I was going to L&E I was excited because I knew it was going to be a great experience but when I arrived there I became very nervous and overwhelmed by the amount of people that were there. Since I was from America and many of the people there were from Europe, I thought that I would be an outcast.

2: How did you feel after camp was finished?

After my 2 weeks of being at camp was over I was very sad. I had so much fun meeting people, participating in activities and games and going horseback riding. When my time at camp was over that’s when I realized how close I had become with the campers and tutors, it felt like I was leaving my second family. 

3: What’s the best thing about camp?

The best part of L&E would have to be how involved the camp is. Most camps I have been to, you would find a small group of people you connected with and stay with them the entire time. With this camp all the activities and games were made to have everyone involved. Here I was able to interact with all people of different age groups and ethnicities and still have fun.

4: What did you learn on Teen Travel?

Teen Travel taught me how to live with others and how to compromise. I’m used to living with family members but had never stayed with people I had just met. I noticed how many times everyone had disagreements over what we wanted to do and what we felt we should spend our money on. Being in these situations made me realize that what I wanted wasn’t the only thing that mattered and that it is important to learn how to work well with others. Teamwork makes the dream work.

5: What would you say to someone who was thinking about doing TT but was undecided?

I would tell them that they should give it a try because it will help them with real life problems. Where I’m from my school never taught me how to budget and find my own transportation and accommodations. The little bit that I did know about these things came from what my parents told me but it’s not the same as experiencing it for yourself. Along with learning all these things you also get the chance to adventure out, meet new people, travel to new places and have fun while doing it. 

6: Any other thoughts about L&E?

I believe L&E is a great place for everyone. I was a very introverted person and L&E helped me step out of my comfort zone and get used to meeting and being around a lot of different people. 

7: What effect did L&E have on you?

In my opinion I believe that L&E has prepared me for college. If it wasn’t for the camp and teen travel I would not have been exposed to being around and living with multiple people from different cultural backgrounds and religions. Without L&E I feel like my transition into college would have been very difficult.

North Camp 1 Blog 2019

Sunday, 7th July, 2019

Once the parents had left and the children were checked in, everybody met outside. 

The children were drawn in, as if hypnotised, towards the luscious smell of a crackling BBQ. Burgers that would melt in your mouth were complemented by a beautiful green salad. Many of the children had been to the camp before and were hugging and catching up. Many were new and had never been to the camp before, but got involved in the games straight away and were introducing themselves. We always remind the children to look after each other, especially when they’re nervous. BE KIND, BE KIND, BE KIND.

THEN, the games began…

Stuck in the Mud was the most exhausting game. Everybody was sweating and running for water. I am expecting that all of us will be very fit by the end of the week, even the children that pretended to be tagged so that they could hide from running. This was very funny. We also played some new games like “Captain’s Coming” where children pretended to be pirates scrubbing the decks and had to had to get into groups of 2, 3, 4, or 6. British Bulldog was probably the most fun game. The children had to run between a wall of tutors and reach the other side of the field without getting caught. They were very good at this because many children are very very fast, ESPECIALLY Fred. 

After an evening of fun and games, we were rewarded with hot chocolate and marshmallows. YUM. 

Then, the children went to their bedrooms, got ready for bed and started relaxing together. Some of them were doing face masks, some were reading, and some were just laughing together. I really look forward to the rest of the week. 

Click for more photos

Monday, 8th July, 2019

After a night of getting to know each other the kids enjoyed their first breakfast at L&E! There was lots of choice, including good ol’ English crumpets (an English delicacy). 

To get warmed up, we played a big game of dodgeball while listening to fun music. Lots of dance moves were made. 

Then after, the kids could segregate into the Creative, Adventure, and Sport activities. For Creative the kids could make themselves a superhero and do yoga (as taught by the expert Hayley). For Adventure there was den-making! The kids really got into making their stick-dens as homely as possible. One of the dens had a shelf with plants and decorations. Some of the dens had doors… or even toilets! For sport there was ULTIMATE frisbee and rugby. The kids really got stuck into this and were very quick learners. 

Biscuit Time at morning break was very funny. Some of the children (not naming any names) were using very intelligent tactics to get more biscuits than they were allowed, including creating silly diversions. 

In the afternoon, Horse riding started – which was “AWESOME!”. Dexter was as reliant as ever so Valentina was very happy. Blue is a new horse and Carla feels she’ll be able to jump really well.

For the BIG event of the day there were EPIC Ice Breaker Games. A personal highlight was wearing a pair of tights on our heads that was filled with a ball. We then used the hanging ball to knock over cups. We all looked like hilarious anglerfishes (definitely worth a Google by the way). Sam performed an excellent demonstration. 

Afterwards, lots of pictures were taken with volunteers who were wrapped in toilet paper to look like funny mummies. Chubby Bunny was another highlight. This involved children squishing as many marshmallows into their mouth as possible, while saying “chubby bunny”. There was lots of laughing. The record holder of L&E Chubby Bunny squeezed a ridiculous 22 marshmallows in their mouth! However, the funniest faces were pulled in the Chocolate Challenge where volunteers would have to only use their face to move an After Eight Chocolate from their forehead into their mouth. 

The kids have now had their hot chocolate and are in bed, ready for tomorrow!

Click to see more photos

Tuesday, 9th July, 2019

Day two kicked off with a scrumptious combination of eggy bread and baked beans which seemed to go down a treat. That was followed by an intense, yet friendly game of dodgeball which was perfectly accompanied by the soothing voice of Leona Lewis in the background. 

The morning activity of forest art gave the kids the opportunity to get some fresh air and be creative, while the scuba diving allowed the children to try something new. Due to the slightly damp conditions, football was played in the state of the art sports hall facility for our sportier campers. Nobby the chef pulled out all the stops with a lovely chicken curry to round off the morning activities. 

Hockey and camp fire building took place in the afternoon, alongside another thrilling scuba diving session. The kids then enjoyed a panini for the evening meal, before we all gathered round the camp fire for some hearty songs from around the world with some delicious toasted marshmallows. Finally, the day was rounded off with some hot chocolate which ended the evening on a high before bed time.

Click for Day 3 Photos

Wednesday, 10th July, 2019

The sun rose upon the grounds of Aysgarth for the first Wednesday of camp following an overnight rainfall that could only have been summoned by Thor premeditating his upcoming theme night appearance. A uniquely British serving of a platter of various meats and rolls provided the fuel for the high-octane day ahead.

Bucking the age-old L&E dodgeball tradition, we started the morning with a game of musical statues, with shapes being thrown by the campers that frankly defied description. The morning adventure activity was extreme capture the flag, a tactical game which engulfed the campers in physical and mental strategy. In our English lessons the campers were testing their skills of description and communication with various character themed games, before cooperating by following a traditional English recipe and baking a Victoria sponge cake which rumour has it would have earned a Paul Hollywood handshake. Wimbledon fever hit North Yorkshire, as our campers channelled their inner Heather Watson’s and Rafael Nadal’s in a riveting tennis session, whilst the creative stars showed their urban side by producing both indoor and outdoor chalk drawings that would rival Banksy’s finest work.

All the while, throughout both morning and afternoon we had a special off-site adventure activity of canoeing, with campers breathing in the full magnificence of the Yorkshire countryside from an unusual waterborne viewpoint.

After a classic burger and salad lunch, the afternoon got underway, and my word what an afternoon it was. Our creative option was a one stop trip to Karoakeville, with a relaxed and familiar sing song session that everybody got really involved in. The on-site adventurers went scavenger hunting, solving a combination of riddles and anagrams to find an avengers themed solution. The basketball participants had the honour of being mentored by a former North Wales champion, and the level of skill shown in the session resembled Dylan Hughes in full flight.

To conclude another action-packed day, campers further embezzled themselves into tomorrows theme night spirit by watching The Avengers. Movie night provided a calm end to the third day of what has been a brilliant start to our 2019 L&E adventure, and post hot chocolate the campers snuggled in bed looking forward to the exciting possibilities ahead tomorrow.

Click for Day 4 Photos

Thursday, 11th July, 2019

The day began with everyone excited to start the 5^th day of camp! After an early night following movie night, we were raring to go for theme night! But before that, all the days exciting activities needed to take place! Morning began with a scrumptious breakfast of scrambled eggs to help fuel the first decision of the day – Bench ball, Water polo and the chance to make some gorgeous chocolate truffles! 

Bench ball was tremendous fun, being the goalie is boring though! You’re not allowed to move and have to stay on the bench! The kids just want to run around! The kids got to test out their baking skills as well, by making chocolate truffles! They ended up being really nice and fluffy, with exciting toppings like coconut and chocolate sprinkles. Water polo was great too, the kids pushed Jack and Connor in the pool, but it was such a success that we decided to do it again in the afternoon! 

The afternoon began with a yummy roast dinner. It gave the kids an opportunity to try some traditional British food. Honestly, it’s the best!! Badminton provided the kids the chance to test out their racket skills, with Emma, who used to compete competitively, providing her excellent expertise. Excitingly, with the sun shining, the opportunity for the first waterslide of camp! It was so so much fun and everyone got really really wet, and a little bit soapy too! Everyone needed a shower after…

As an alternative to Badminton, there was also the first L&E Strictly Come Dancing lesson! This involved Sophie teaching a Cha Cha Cha, Waltz and Samba to some keen dancers, who had loads of sass and style. Paul and Simon were the star pair, having a Cha Cha worthy of a 10/10! 

All throughout the day, Sam was taking people climbing! It’s a bit scary hanging off a rope that high, but it’s incredible fun.

After a dinner of chicken pasta, we got to participate in theme night, all the tutors were dressed as their favourite Avenger – Jack got painted all purple, he was Thanos, the bad guy of the evening. After competing challenges testing our strength, speed and mind, we proved we were better than the Avengers, and got to throw water balloons at Thanos (purple Jack). After this, a big water fight broke out, a silly end to another fantastic day at L&E!

Click for Day 5 Photos

Click for Horse Riding Photos

Friday, 12th July, 2019

Life is not about the amount of breathes you take, it’s the moments that take your breath away, this was the belief the L&E campers had throughout the day. With the end of the week lingering, the anticipation for the L&E Oscars evening was at fever pitch. The only thing holding back the excitement was the fear of missing out on capturing the grand prize of star camper.

Dodgeball in the morning was naturally not met with any boredom even if it was the fifth session of the week, dodgeball enthusiasm shows no sign of decreasing at this rate with these happy campers. An extreme and very safe adventure activity of tree climbing was only ventured by only the very elite campers.  Creating a better Oscars presented by names such as Chris Rock and Jimmy Kimmel is no easy fetch, thankfully our most creative campers were on hand to create an event with more ambiance than a candlelit dinner. France is known for wine, cheese and weird cricket rules; therefore, it was a shock to see the enjoyment and satisfaction from an interesting game of French cricket.

Another week, another chef, but dinner will never be the same without chef Nobby’s famous curry and charming wit. 

In the Afternoon, the campers evolved into Alastair and Johnny Brownlee, when everyone participated in a well scheduled triathlon, even though nobody has heard of the Yorkshire heroes. This tiering event was a perfect assist to the main event of the night, all the camp needed was a dashing host, stepped up Sam Ridgway.

With many awards being handed to the most deserving nominee, the only thing left to do was to hand out the star camper award. Deservedly Morten welcomed the award with open arms, while the audience were animated with raucous applause.

Click for Day 6 Photos

Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th

What a lovely weekend we’ve had! Trips to York, Lightwater Valley Theme Park and a trip around the Dales villages.

It all happened over an extraordinary English weekend of sport where the very traditional game of Cricket World Cup Final was being held plus The British Grand Prix and The Wimbledon Final.  England became cricket World Champions for the first time in history – a memorable experience for the the children who watched.

We ended Sunday evening with a lovely BBQ sat in the sunshine.

We’re incredibly excited for the week ahead…the Young Global Leaders Course and the Football School starts on Monday!

Click for weekend Photos

Monday, 15th July, 2019

We launched into week two with some eggs on toast and hunger games dodgeball. 

For creative, there was Strictly Come Dancing with Sophie (samba, cha-cha-cha, and more) in the morning. Slowly, but surely the L&E camp is becoming more flamboyant. ULTIMATE frisbee was repeated (due to previous popularity). The most compelling activity (the adventure one) was Campfire Cooking. This was led by the expert fire-maker Jack. Little chocolate-chip cakes were cooked in oranges that we heaved into the fire (that had a chair burning at its centre). I felt epic. 

In the afternoon the artsy kids did some graffiti (wash off – we’re not delinquents I swear). For the more sporty children there was volleyball. This was Very popular. Sardines (a curious form of hide and seek) took place in the L&E building, which was followed by SUMO WRESTLING. 

The Young Global Leaders course started today! We did a lot of teambuilding activities (including detangling ourselves in groups, passing along a hoop while holding hands in a circle and “Two Truths and a Lie”. There was discussion about other global leaders and what it means to be a good one. The kids were also presented with the power of planning the night’s evening activity.

Football camp also started today which, as I heard, went very smoothly. Regarding technicality, dribbling was the centre of attention. The camp tutors leading it (Matt and James) made it known that they were really impressed by energy and commitment that their group had. There was also a fun, competitive game at the end.

Monday FUNDAY was this evening’s activity (as planned mostly by the Young Global Leaders). I may be slightly biased, but this was an really really legendary evening.  There was apple bobbing followed by finding a Malteser in flour. The outcome of this decision was soggy, flower-covered children who looked like small Santas. A binbag fashion show also took place (photos will be on Facebook). The outfits were FABULOUS, but the catwalks were even better. An L&E Egg-drop was the big finale of Monday FUNDAY. We all chanted “scrambled eggs, scrambled eggs”. This was a nice circle ending to the beginning of the day with the eggs on toast. EGGCELENT :,) 

Click for Day 9 photos

Tuesday, 16th July, 2019

As the campers rose on a sunny 52nd birthday of Will Ferrell they enjoyed a classic English breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast.  After filling themselves up and running back upstairs to brush their teeth, they pattered down to the sports hall to play the traditional L&E morning warm-up… dodgeball.  All the kids followed the five rules of dodgeball… dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge and the standard of dodgeball in everyone (staff included) has improved massively since the start of last week.

The morning activities chosen were basketball, den building and papier mâché. In basketball, after doing a few testing drills, the participants were then separated into 4 teams; Dumplings, Team 3, NBA and Ragamuffins.  After a round robin tournament, they then played semi-finals and ended with a final of the dumplings verses the Ragamuffins ending in a sudden death penalty shoot out which lived up to the exciting billing, with the Ragamuffins just edging the contest.  Our adventure team ventured off to the woods to build dens.  The creativity and survival instincts of the campers was inspiring, and they made seriously impressive dens in the amount of time that they had to work with.  Finally our creators made some papier mâché sculptures which rivalled the 7 wonders of the world!

After a delightful traditional roast beef dinner and ice cream, the campers were treated to an impressive range of activities; a final instalment of this weeks campfire cooking where we made the biggest fire yet and today made chocolate muffins with white chocolate chips. This, like yesterday, went down like a house on fire. Our keen sportspeople took on a joint task of rounders and it’s american friend, baseball.  Everyone hit a home run with this activity and caught, hit and threw with great aplomb.  Finally our budding Picassos went to the art room to design and create props and posters for our upcoming theme night; ‘The Greatest Showman’.   

The day ended with the weekly L&E campfire, which showcased the immense talent of all the campers. Many of the campers got up to perform, highlights included some impressive quick rapping, impressions of the staff by campers and even a series of ‘opera offs’.  Ending with the delicious melted marshmallows and hot chocolate, the campers snuggled up in bed, chatting about  the excitement that tomorrow may bring. 

Click for Day 10 Photos

Wednesday, 17th July 2019

Today camp rose yet again with the sun shining, which surely promised joy and happiness for yet another wonderful day at L&E. Breakfast this morning was a treat, with Beans and Sausages on the menu, Connor loved them so much he had 4! The choice for activities was equally exciting with Water Polo, Tree climbing and old style poster making on the cards. 

For those who did Water Polo, they were given expert coaching by Jack. It was such great fun that the kids were given a chance to do it again in the afternoon. Tree climbing was fantastic fun too, it’s exhilarating getting up to those heights, and it’s so exciting that we’re allowed to do it too! The Poster making was cool too, the kids learned how to use a tea bag to make the poster looked old fashioned! Some were so good that they’ll be used for our Greatest Showman theme night tomorrow!

Lunch was delicious as usual, everyone was treated to Hunter’s chicken and little mini roast potatoes. It was so so so good! The Hunter’s chicken was really tangy while the potatoes were super herby. For dessert, we had a chocolate muffin with a whipped cream filling, which was superb too. 

After lunch, along with the aforementioned Water polo, we also were offered the option to do either Tennis or the chance to make our own dream catchers! Tennis was cool to do – with Wimbledon having happened last weekend it was fun to recreate the Finals!! The quality of the tennis match between Andrea, Paul, Connor and Emma L was so high that we had to call in Caroline Flack to inform which couple was announced the winner. Making dream catchers were awesome too, Hayley taught us how to transform a few twigs of wood into a really cool dream catcher. On top of this, Sam was running trips backwards and forwards to a lake to do some Kayaking. This was super cool too, although falling in the water was really cold!!! 

This evening kicked off with a delicious meal of Pasta. We were given 3 choices, Spaghetti Carbonara, a Cheesy bake or Green Pesto Pasta! On top of this, we were given some yummy garlic bread! All this set the scene for watching the Greatest Showman ahead of tomorrow’s theme night. The soundtrack is so so good, we were all singing along!

We’d also like to give a mention to the Young Global Campers, who tonight are out camping. Unfortunately for them, it’s raining tonight, the first time it has done since arriving to camp. Despite this, let’s all hope it’s a fantastic experience for them – and they learn some valuable skills from it all.

To finish today’s blog, we unfortunately said goodbye to Zara today. Zara has added to everyone’s time at camp and really impressed all the tutors here. She was a fantastic student and she will be missed by all her peers, let’s hope we see her again next year!

Click for Wednesday’s photos

Thursday, 18th July 2019