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Sunday, August 03, 2003
Chapter 4- The Final Chapter- PART 1
After everyone had rested we were off again and as we continued we passed the place where we would have been 30 minutes ago if the stile had been where it was meant to be! After more minutes of exhausting torture, when our walk had become a mind-numbing march along the cracked road, we finally reached SunnyBrook Farm, which was promptly renamed as “Sunny-bloody-brook Farm”
We had to write a short message of the group’s status and estimate a time of when we would get back. Hmm, was that with or without shortcuts? We were already an hour behind schedule so it was decided that we must be ‘forced’ to take a shorter route. Now, which one to take without being noticed, that was the question. A question that could easily be answered by one member of the group- the Slacker.
“Zoë, we need a route that will cut at least a kilometre off of our route and we can’t be seen. Any ideas?”
The expert then rapidly formed a woodland route that was complete with excuses if we were caught. We then wrote our note for Dr Wall and tacked it around a lamppost with enough cello-tape wrapped around it to hold a car to the post.
As we walked along the road we took a left onto a woodland path that appeared to take us in a circle and we ended up only a few feet away from where we had started. Not very helpful. We carried on walking and reached a large field. Our map said that we needed to walk through the metal gate that was in front of us and walk another hour to get to Green Park. However the keen eyes in our group noticed a few familiar sights nearby. Very nearby. Two white poles in the shape of an H stuck out from behind some trees and then after looking again, we recognised certain large white tents. It was Green Park!!! We were then faced with a choice. Should we go down the long way or take a shortcut through the fields to get there in 10 minutes? Yes, we were stressed, sleepy and a teensy bit sweaty (God bless the inventor of anti-perspirant) but we were not stupid. We all made our way across the field, amidst a football match and towards the rugby H that seemed to shine like a holy cross… only, in the shape of an H…
It was quiet apart from the passing cars and the cow-field adjacent to the main camping area was completely still. The trees swayed slightly in the breeze but the field was empty. Then, suddenly, a figure dashed from behind one of the trees with its arms and legs flapping around as it struggled to run. It reached the next tree and tried to hide behind it which proved not to be successful seeing that the large bulk on its back stuck out from behind the tree like a sore thumb. It cautiously peered out from behind the branches to observe the people in the main camping field before signalling to the others to continue.
Yes, this was actually Group 11 doing their famous Chameleon impression also known as Of-Course-We’re-Not-Taking-A-Shortcut act. After we had crossed the football field safely we realised that we were in the cow field next to Green Park and we could clearly see several groups collapsed on the grass in the main field. That when the thought struck us. If we could see them, they could see us. And with our bright yellow camping mats and bright hats, we would hardly become one with Nature’s colour scheme. So that’s how we ended up making our way through the field, running from tree to tree as fast as our heavy bags and baggy trousers would allow us whilst humming the Mission Impossible theme tune. In fact some may say that we were like streaks of lightning… only with baseball caps.
We knew that it would hardly look natural to just appear magically out of the cow field so we decided to be clever and make our way round the slightly longer way so it looked like we were coming from the back entrance. That appeared to be the first, last and only time Group 11 took the longer route voluntarily. As we walked up the last path the D of E song was shouted –Bob the Builder Style
“Group 11! Will we walk it?”
“Group 11! No we won’t!”
“Group 11! Can we walk it?”
“Group 11! No we can’t!” etc
As we entered the field a weird, happy feeling went through us all. Was it was self-satisfaction? Knowing that as a group we had worked together and completed our expedition? No, it was simply the fact that we would be going home soon to sit in front of the T.V and feel whole again. We had our bags checked and surprisingly our emergency rations were untouched. This was possibly due to the fact that they were things that we had found at the very back of the kitchen cupboard such as crisps which were so old that to any unsuspecting individual, they would pass off as dried leaves.
We were given the all clear and then were told that we could now go home. The relief that flooded through us when we heard those words was absolutely unexplainable. It was a feeling that only someone who had slogged over 25 km, got chased by cows, destroyed natural habitats and ripped their trousers over barbed wire, could understand.
NEXT TIME, THE FINAL FINAL PART OF THE D OF E DIARY.
After everyone had rested we were off again and as we continued we passed the place where we would have been 30 minutes ago if the stile had been where it was meant to be! After more minutes of exhausting torture, when our walk had become a mind-numbing march along the cracked road, we finally reached SunnyBrook Farm, which was promptly renamed as “Sunny-bloody-brook Farm”
We had to write a short message of the group’s status and estimate a time of when we would get back. Hmm, was that with or without shortcuts? We were already an hour behind schedule so it was decided that we must be ‘forced’ to take a shorter route. Now, which one to take without being noticed, that was the question. A question that could easily be answered by one member of the group- the Slacker.
“Zoë, we need a route that will cut at least a kilometre off of our route and we can’t be seen. Any ideas?”
The expert then rapidly formed a woodland route that was complete with excuses if we were caught. We then wrote our note for Dr Wall and tacked it around a lamppost with enough cello-tape wrapped around it to hold a car to the post.
As we walked along the road we took a left onto a woodland path that appeared to take us in a circle and we ended up only a few feet away from where we had started. Not very helpful. We carried on walking and reached a large field. Our map said that we needed to walk through the metal gate that was in front of us and walk another hour to get to Green Park. However the keen eyes in our group noticed a few familiar sights nearby. Very nearby. Two white poles in the shape of an H stuck out from behind some trees and then after looking again, we recognised certain large white tents. It was Green Park!!! We were then faced with a choice. Should we go down the long way or take a shortcut through the fields to get there in 10 minutes? Yes, we were stressed, sleepy and a teensy bit sweaty (God bless the inventor of anti-perspirant) but we were not stupid. We all made our way across the field, amidst a football match and towards the rugby H that seemed to shine like a holy cross… only, in the shape of an H…
It was quiet apart from the passing cars and the cow-field adjacent to the main camping area was completely still. The trees swayed slightly in the breeze but the field was empty. Then, suddenly, a figure dashed from behind one of the trees with its arms and legs flapping around as it struggled to run. It reached the next tree and tried to hide behind it which proved not to be successful seeing that the large bulk on its back stuck out from behind the tree like a sore thumb. It cautiously peered out from behind the branches to observe the people in the main camping field before signalling to the others to continue.
Yes, this was actually Group 11 doing their famous Chameleon impression also known as Of-Course-We’re-Not-Taking-A-Shortcut act. After we had crossed the football field safely we realised that we were in the cow field next to Green Park and we could clearly see several groups collapsed on the grass in the main field. That when the thought struck us. If we could see them, they could see us. And with our bright yellow camping mats and bright hats, we would hardly become one with Nature’s colour scheme. So that’s how we ended up making our way through the field, running from tree to tree as fast as our heavy bags and baggy trousers would allow us whilst humming the Mission Impossible theme tune. In fact some may say that we were like streaks of lightning… only with baseball caps.
We knew that it would hardly look natural to just appear magically out of the cow field so we decided to be clever and make our way round the slightly longer way so it looked like we were coming from the back entrance. That appeared to be the first, last and only time Group 11 took the longer route voluntarily. As we walked up the last path the D of E song was shouted –Bob the Builder Style
“Group 11! Will we walk it?”
“Group 11! No we won’t!”
“Group 11! Can we walk it?”
“Group 11! No we can’t!” etc
As we entered the field a weird, happy feeling went through us all. Was it was self-satisfaction? Knowing that as a group we had worked together and completed our expedition? No, it was simply the fact that we would be going home soon to sit in front of the T.V and feel whole again. We had our bags checked and surprisingly our emergency rations were untouched. This was possibly due to the fact that they were things that we had found at the very back of the kitchen cupboard such as crisps which were so old that to any unsuspecting individual, they would pass off as dried leaves.
We were given the all clear and then were told that we could now go home. The relief that flooded through us when we heard those words was absolutely unexplainable. It was a feeling that only someone who had slogged over 25 km, got chased by cows, destroyed natural habitats and ripped their trousers over barbed wire, could understand.
NEXT TIME, THE FINAL FINAL PART OF THE D OF E DIARY.
