Holmston
Web Pages

Memorable Moments

We all want a BBQ! (repeat by kids)
The right road I wish I knew!?
Took at wrong turning at the bridge!
Ended up walking round the ridge!!

That is the song we sang on the way to the part of beach to find Henry. Our instructors’ names were Tracey, Alex and Henry. We went all over the woods with Tracey and Mrs McCall looking for Henry.

All of us were up hills, down hlls, under trees, singing and even dancing because it was so boring, well me and M. were anyway.

When we finally found Henry’s sign we knew we were there.

Tracey followed the steps and we followed her. We finally found him and saw the smoke. When I got down onto the sand K. and I sat and talked for a while and then went into the water and jumped waves and had a laugh.

After about half an hour we decided to go home and get our supper. We had supper and got on our PJs.

I got in bed and talked to the girls for only about 2 hours.

We told ghost stories and told our best part of the day.

I said the kayaking we did all day. Then we said night and fell asleep. I felt sad that we had to leave.

- E., P7

Great Fun!

At the end of our first day at Dolphin House we were assigned our groups and group leaders. After doing team tasks we went on a walk in the Castle grounds with our groups. Henry was my group leader and I was soon to find that from this one man my knowledge of the area and nature in general would widen dramatically.

"Right, people", said Henry, "we need 2 people to be back markers. Can we have some volunteers?"

After the back markers had been chosen, we started off with Henry striding out in front and the back markers at the tail end. I was up in front with Henry listening to everything he said.

He told us about many plants that I had never heard of and showed us different animals’ homes. We also kept an eye out for the tree that had the most branches in the Castle grounds.

After walking through the woods we then made our way down to Port Carrick and here Henry taught us about how the merchants brought food up to the Castle from here.

Henry also commented on the fact that this part of the beach was remarkably clean but we still had to take care.

At that point we started to pick up litter on the beach and Henry even found a big bag to put it all in. Next we made our way back to Dolphin House.

Henry had transformed what could have been a boring walk into a great time. I couldn’t wait for Tuesday!

- L., P7

My Day Kayaking

It was a dull day at Loch Ken. Hardly any boats were on the lake and were just warming up in the water. We were learning to hold our paddles properly by splashing the person behind us with them.

When we had learned how to paddle we moved out into the lake with our kayaks and began to paddle out into the deeper part. We had some lessons on how to turn and go backwards and things like that but then we started to play a game which involved 2 teams and a wet sponge. That’s when it happened!

We won a point by hitting the captain of their team with the sponge. Then they came on the attack. Their team leader passed to E., E.(she) passed to R. and R.(she) tried to pass to A. but it landed between him and me. We both raced towards it but A. got there first. He tried to lean over to get it, but then - SPLASH! - he fell in!!

Everybody burst out laughing. A. came up from under the water and was in such a panic that he grabbed onto the side of my kayak and nearly made me tip over! (We all had a go at tipping in, afterwards).

When A. had got back into his kayak his team scored and we drew the match 1-1.

Everybody was in a good mood until we had to go home. "Oh please can we stay!" we asked. "No, it’s time to go home", said Henry. So we said thanks to the instructors, squeezed out of our wetsuits, got dressed and climbed on board the minibus. I slept all the way back!!

- I., P7

 Contacts & Links 

 Sponsors 

 Previous issues 

 Legal 

 Next page