A first expedition

A group of 59 students had a brilliant time completing their practice Duke of Edinburgh’s Bronze Award expedition on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 April. On the first day the group assembled at Bury St Edmunds railway station, from which they set off in their groups to navigate to Bradfield Combust, an excellent campsite run by Scouts. The girls learnt to set bearings, pace distances and look for landscape features. In East Anglia the otherwise empty skyline is filled with church towers, water towers and power lines, and using these landmarks the girls became increasingly confident navigating cross country. The girls then pitched their tents and cooked their suppers – the staff members on the expedition were all very impressed by the range and skill of camp cuisine!

On the second day the girls left without their guides, meeting staff members only at designated checkpoints. The groups walked well with very few errors and all the girls were collected, tired but content, from Thurston or Elmswell railway stations. Now their training is complete the girls are preparing for their assessed expeditions this weekend – let’s hope they have some pleasant weather!