Mr Devereux - day 4

We’ve had another amazing day. I hope you’re enjoying the photos. I’ve spent one day with each of the three groups. I expect that you have noticed already that there is one set of children who appear each day; by the end of camp, everyone should have made some kind of appearance. Some of the activities are easier to snap than others. I risked taking the camera with me when I abseiled into the caves, but couldn’t take it on the gorge walk. Going under the Rock of Africa would have ended its life.

Today I managed a first: during caving I went through ‘the slot’ which is a narrow space which drops down from a low passage in the ‘Diddy Pit’ cave into a second passage. Most adults take the longer ‘S’ bend, but the instructor thought I might fit the slot. “How much do you weigh?” he asked. When I told him, he said it should work. Thankfully I got through but there was quite a pressure on my ribs as I slid down. The children pinged through easily. In fact every single member of my group went down St Thomas’s passage which I think is also a record for Yester. Well done, Nonny, Tashmeer, Dizzee, Star, Moonbeam, Nevis and Kizzy!

Good news for anxious parents: no wellies were lost today.

Bee has been having a brilliant birthday all day. Thanks for the cake, Bee’s mum – it tasted lovely. Ponakins managed to get wet again today. In fact when she was beginning to dry out, she and Swagger filled boots with water and tipped them over each other. Hurray! Ponakins was wet again! The water in the gorge walk wasn’t nearly as cold as I thought it would be in March. Dizzee says it’s nothing compared to swimming in Loch Eck. Today I managed to get a snap of Murrzo when she wasn’t looking. Hee-hee.

Tonight is the disco and the excitement is mounting: the boys are…er…packing just now while the girls are getting themselves ready for the disco. Ponakins is running a hair salon in one of the girls’ dorms, offering blow dry, hair straightening and brushing services. She has a massive queue.

Watch out for the photos from the boys’ dorms: deodorants and toothbrushes on parade. Also some good news: one of the girls’ dorms achieved 10/10 this morning!