Camp with the Franconville Scouts - Day 1 - Sun 9th August

• Early start just after 5am! The packing of the van was done on Saturday.
• We drove to Newhaven to catch the ferry to Dieppe. The crossing was to take four hours.
• From Dieppe, there was a three and a half hour drive to Giels-Corteilles in Normandy where we were to meet our hosts.
• We found the Giel-don Bosco Agricutural College but NO SCOUTS! They were tucked away at the far side of the site.
• The camp site was lovely, a flat plateau next to the River L'Orne.
• There were three French Patrols, two of boys and one girls. Our three boys pitched their tent alongside one of the boys' patrol's and the girls set-up alongside the girls patrol.
• There were fifteen French Scouts and four leaders; we had six scouts and three leaders.
• The evening meal was cooked by the boys, washed up by the girls and was followed by a wide game in the woods above the site.
• The wide game involved a walk with incidents which included riddles and puzzles to be solved by the Scouts. The second hidden person and incident were not found and we returned to camp, rather late and feeling tired.
• Our hosts were from Argenteuil and the Group is linked with Franconville, the town twinned with Potters Bar. They are a Catholic Group and one of the leaders has links with the College.
• The camp was fairly 'basic' using natural materials where possible. The dining shelters, tables and seats were all made from wood and the cooking was all being done on French-style altar fires.
• There were en suite natural air conditioned 'stargazer' toilet facilities, too.

Submitted by Diane