Scouts Pictures: Giant Sleepover 2008

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Giant Sleepover 2008 (Jun 2008)

9 Scouts, 3 Leaders, The Guinness Book of Records, Save the Children and Tim the Turtle.

Giant Sleepover: June 14th /15th 2008: Weymouth Sea life Centre.

We registered to take part in the Giant Sleepover event 2008. This is an annual world wide event which aims to get as many children between the ages of 5 and 16 sleeping out, somewhere, on a set date whilst raising money for Save the Children. We paid the registration fee, paid for each Scout to receive a small goody bag and ordered the badges.

A newsletter arrived asking if we wanted the chance to sleep at one of the special venues, we went for it not thinking that we stood a chance. Then Marcia from the Giant Sleepover gang rang to say we have been selected to sleep at Weymouth Sea life Centre. That’s when all the hard work started, phone calls, e-mails, letters, booking a mini bus, sorting finances.

Weymouth was the 2nd choice on the list, the first was the London Dungeons, Liz said ‘over her dead body’ or something like that. We were going to be sleeping in the Turtle Tunnel, WOW!

Chris had to drive to Gloucester to pick up the Treasure Boxes and large poster and we spent the evening sorting out a goody bag for each Scout, these included toothpaste, tissues, leaflets, skin cream, cereal etc. We had games, smellies, books which we shared between the Scouts. One goody bag was marked with the letters DVD and on Saturday morning each Scout chose a bag. Christopher picked the DVD bag and won himself a DVD player.

The mini bus set off and arrived in sunny Weymouth safe and sound, the Scouts enjoying a lunch of Fish and Chips on the beach. A guided tour of the Sea life centre followed and then we set up ‘CAMP’ in the Turtle Tunnel. The evening was spent on the beach where we had our tea and the Scouts played in the sea and on the sand, making their own special sand turtle called Tim. This was followed by hot doughnuts covered in sugar.

On returning to the Sea life Centre some of us oldies went to sleep very quickly, whilst a few of the Scouts wanted to talk for a while or a bit longer than a while. To wake up with Turtles, Fish and Sharks swimming over your head is amazing.

We were up and ready to do the 2 minute teeth cleaning challenge at 9am, then we went for breakfast. Across the road was the 5J’s café where we all had a full English breakfast with orange juice whilst watching a range of WW2 vehicles getting ready for a parade. We discovered that there would be a large Veterans Day parade in the town and we walked down to the Sea front to watch part of the service.

On returning to the mini bus we watched these wonderful trucks, bikes and tanks move off to join the parade, everyone dressed in their 1940’s clothes, cool! Time to go home but first to the gift shop where quite a few of the Scouts bought Turtles all named Tim. Jeran purchased a shark that squeaked, that sat with me at the back of the bus. We stopped quickly in Devizes for a burger and drink and a soaking as the Heavens opened and we got wet.

Arriving back in Purton, a little later than planned, each Scout received a folder with information on competitions, how to support the Save the Children Charity, an origami turtle to make, a certificate for the teeth cleaning challenge and the Giant Sleepover Badge.

What a brilliant weekend, a great experience and we raised money for Save the Children too as well as helping to break a world record.

Marie. ASL. 1st Purton & Lydiard Scout Troop.