Reviews

Isle Of Wight 2001

(12th-16th April)

The day is the 11th of April 2001, the day of Ben, Daddy, Cab, and porta's roadtrip to the Isle of Wight. Finally we actually have a car loaned which will actually carry us all and our kit (hopefully) the distance down there, I didn't particularly care about the way back. Waking up at 4.30am for work that morning probably wasn't a good idea, coz I knew I needed every last bit of sleep I could get. I spent the whole morning in an insanely excited mood, reaching a peak when the manager said I could go home at 1pm, a whole two hours early. Half an hour later daddy an Porta arrive in our loaned Montego estate, and we make our way back to daddy's house to attempt the next major task at hand: the roof box. After being dropped off home again, I make sure I've got everything... A pointless task coz you always forget something. By now its 8pm, daddy and Porta are half an hour behind schedule already, eventually turning up an hour late at 8.30!! 

After picking up Ben and discovering the car had a leaking radiator, we're finally on the road, and from that point until south Mimms' service station it's a constant karaoke, listening to "Cab's Cruising Classics (Volume2)". South Mimms was frightening as usual at that time at night, where the staff are scarier than the customers and consist of about twenty illegal immigrants. Back in the car and Bens navigating isn't going quite as well as daddy (the driver) had hoped, and after going round the roundabout the fourth time, Bens navigating duties are handed to Cab. After navigating the M25, M3 and M27 perfectly the CVSU are finally at Southampton, four hours early. Daddy checks the radiator, and miraculously it is no-longer leaking. The next ferry leaves at 1.45am and we get straight onto it. A life of luxury for the next hour, the staff outnumbered the passengers, not hard seeing as there is only one other passenger as well as us. Finally the CVSU are on the Isle of Wight, a sigh of relief is breathed before the final challenge, actually finding the school! The only wrong turn was just after Newport, which Cab rectified by taking a "shortcut" (usually a disastrous move) from the detour, which should bring us out right near Safeway. The shortcut road doesn't look too promising, the car barely fits on the road and the mirrors are hitting bushes either side. After passing a few small houses (at 3 in the morning listening to "happy days" full volume) the general thought is that Cab has got the CVSU lost, And moments after Cabs reassurance that Safeway is just over the next hill what should appear on the horizon but Safeway!! The only wrong turn after that is going in the "out" gate of the school! Finally the CVSU's journey is complete, and after a decision that it was too cold to pitch tents, Cab and daddy try to sleep in the car. Ben and Porta decide to go on another adventure and explore the island. After two hours of attempted sleep and dead legs it's finally light, half an hour later Ben and Porta arrive with half a block of cheese and a few fags, after making "first contact" with the Police on the island. Apparently two lads wondering the town at half four in the morning eating cheese is thought of as suspicious!

At 8am after pitching the tents we make the first trip to Safeway, and after hearing that last year they sold out of alcohol, bought all we'd need for the weekend. Afterwards it was a unanimous decision that sleep was needed, but the noise from the road made this impossible and all hope of any sleep was lost by about midday, and forgotten when the Pisces (Boston) arrived at half one. The theme that night was 60's 70's, but as usual the CVSU wanted to make an impression on the first night and wore suits and ties! Greeted in the disco by a mass of whistles the CVSU danced the night away and got completely wasted as usual. And finally got some long awaited sleep after 44hours of being awake!

The Friday afternoon Myself, Rachel, Daddy, Lucy and Porta decided to visit the beach, and had a rather interesting game of crazy golf, windows on BMW's, fingers and heads were nearly broken. (nobody saw the morning)  later was water sports, Me and Daddy went on the yacht trying to steer into as many big waves as possible unsuccessfully trying to soak Kev and JJ at the front. That night was tart's and vicars night. CVSU decided not to dress up that night but rather to spectate the tarts. By this time of the camp the centurions seem to have gained another member: Tom from Boston who spent more time with Ben than I spent with Rachel, and that's hard... and sparked a few rumors questioning Bens and Toms sexuality! He is naturally a centurion though, given that he used to go to one of our feeder scout groups before moving to Boston, he even passed the JD test matching Ben and Porta shot for shot... although this had disastrous effects on Porta who became the first casualty of the camp "Mr. Chunder Bunny!" Ben didn't chunder but woke up the next morning walking in a not so straight line.

Saturday, and the whole camp (175) go to a local "theme" park, not a normal theme park with wild rollercoasters, but a park, with a few themed zones... not really that interesting, but ventures being ventures made things slightly more interesting! The waterslides looked the most interesting, and so was our first adventure. Lucy and Rae H chickened out ("didn't want to get wet???") Porta and Daddy got soaked... and my attempts to get Rachel soaked by sitting her at the front didn't work, both came off bone dry... the water got it's revenge the second time down, so we spent the rest of the day like drowned rats! The life-size model dinosaurs were made interesting by climbing them and taking photo's in strange positions, the rest of the time was spent running away from a unit who had brought along an arsenal off water pistols: they knew better not to soak the CVSU though after seeing our collection of super-soakers back at camp with a combined value of about £120. The one pistol we did bring with us was used on the way back to bring a small shower to some members of the public, who had mixed reactions... a variety of not to pleasant words. That night was children's TV theme night: But instead of dressing as characters we decided to dress as children, obviously some units weren't impressed with bens choice of outfit, coz for the second night running he was stripped on the dance floor! The unit braved the showers for the first time, which were freezing cold.

Sunday was a normal day: Ben, and even Daddy waking up drunk. Headhunters in the afternoon was great, although a bit too active, CVSU do not take well to exercise, Lucy was muddy before she even started after being thrown in a puddle. And after a couple of hours of rolling around in mud, battling through spiky tree's and shooting the other team with our laser guns the kills were counted... and the other team was victorious... personally I blame it on the few people on the team, without sounding too sexist: mostly the girls, who couldn't aim right! Being the first to return back to the site, the CVSU ran to the showers before they got too muddy, and endured the cold for another few minutes. The last night on the Isle of Wight Venture 2001 was amazing, lots was drunk, lots were drunk. We even managed to make Rachel and Claire "slightly tipsy" Ben's attempt to pull Jade, with Gilders and Tom as competition, were foiled when she went with a brumy.  Some guy tried to hit on Rae H (Daddy's gf) when she was sat on daddy's knee. Known as Dave to his mates, and "The ugly tw*t who looks like a baboon" to the CVSU. To be rather blunt, he's lucky he didn't have his legs broken  coz it took quite a while to calm daddy down, eventually Rachel (the hero of the story) told him what we thought which got rid of him. Most of the camp planned to stay up all night, which was only carried out by... Lucy, and it showed in the morning (cranky). [sorry Lucy].

Its Monday morning and time to pack up and leave. Although our ferry isn't till 9.30pm, CVSU has faith that they will scam their way onto an early ferry... and they do... £50 extra and we get across before even the Pisces do! The journey home was uneventful apart from drawing on Porta's face whilst he's asleep. Pulling faces at people in cars was probably the most amusing thing on the way home, and the fact that we had a rubber duck on the top of the car arial. Finally arriving home at half six, three hours earlier than we were even supposed to be on the ferry!!

All in all a great camp, and you'll definitely see us there again in our suits next year!!

Report by: Cab

[Isle of Wight Website]

Poacher 2000

(26th July-5th August)

Finally after four years of waiting its the day before poacher! There's only one last obstacle in the way, the shopping. But hey how much food can one person eat in ten days?? A normal person?... not much, a venture?... The thought scares me! But not half as much as the fact that Ben turned up at my house early! Me, Ben and Spurr make our first stop at Bookers, going in with £250 and coming out with a week and half's supply of beer, fags, munchies and a bit of loose change. After spending that much on the necessities I though I best get some food. And with a week's supply of food for £15 there really are more reasons to shop at Morrisons!    

The next morning the sun is shining, and its the perfect day... at least until we get to Spurr's house and get attacked by a swarm of thunder flies! Finally Me, Ben, Porta, Spurr and Daddy are all ready for our long trek a few miles up the road to the showground! Surprisingly with only one stop as well, to fix bens speaker wire. The convoy; a Panda, A.x. and Montego finally reach the empty showground. After setting up our tents as close to the bar as possible we enjoy a nice quiet drink with the only other ventures on the site: the bog squad. This quiet drink turned into a nasty game of truth or dare, fags were eaten, and secrets were spilled! The centurions were even mentioned on Lincs FM the local radio station, and bohemian Rhapsody was played. We were also informed by Stu... our fearless leader who had come up for the night, that the tents needed to be the other side of the field... nice! Next morning that was the first challenge. Instead of packing everything back up, being ventures, the tents were unpegged, and still with the poles in, were put on the roof of the car and driven to the other side with me hanging out the window to hold it there.

By now other people were beginning to arrive and the field was filling up. The whole of the morning and afternoon was spent totty spotting, made even more interesting because of the warm weather! Later we were visited by three lovely ladies from Boston, Rachel, Lucy, Becky, Who didn't leave us until 7am the next morning... U've got a dirty mind! We were sat talking in the middle of the field eating hotdogs and waxed mature cheddar! Very romantic! Must have done something right though coz she still hasn't left now, 8months later! But im not going to bore you all with a love story don't worry, I think u'll find the story of Bens and Lucy's "relationship" much more funny... but I don't think she'd like that so I better not. The next few days were the same, the centurions were being lazy by day and partying by night. Unfortunately Sunday crept up very quickly, yes, the centurions had to start their work. Our job was to maintain an orienteering course at Riseholme university campus grounds throughout the week, and supervise the poor scouts and guides who decided to entrust us with their safety. Apart from the occasional bike ride to check the groups hadn't done anything too stupid, all we did was get sun burnt, and throw crusty buns at each other. The last day at Riseholme was spent drenching  a large mob of little brats on a summer holiday. Obviously I prepared for the occasion by buying a brand new super soaker. It wasn't all work though, we partied all night back at the showground. 

The last night on Poacher 2000 was the Friday. Being the last night the bar was free after 11pm, unfortunately I was the first to the bar and was crushed by a mass of thirsty stampeding ventures! Ventures being ventures managed to drink it dry within a very short space of time. And after entertainment from Ben's karaoke singing to "American pie" all enjoyed watching me and Ben diving head first over the fence behind the bar. At the beginning of the week it was to reach the nominated toilet bush, the toilet block was too far away, and the porter-loo was in quite a rancid state. The last night was an encore! To round it all off Bens dressing gown which he had worn as a party outfit all week, was stripped off him, along with his boxers... I would post the picture on this site but my aim is not to make you ill! And about Bens and Lucy's "relationship" after allot of confusion someone got blown out, although who we don't know, they both say they did the blowing. And to top it all off Ben ended up with Porta's bird anyway. Confused?? yeah me to! After Poacher Porta ended up back with his bird, now daddy's with her. And Porta and Lucy shared a kiss a few months ago... what are they like??? I wont even start to explain the bozz, claire and tarr story!

And that was a brief summary of Poacher, obviously I couldn't include the best parts, people might get the wrong idea about Ventures!!

Report by:Cab

District Camp 1998: Pirate

(May Bank Holiday wkd)

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District Camp 2000: Robin Hood

(May Bank Holiday wkd)

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