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| Oggy's Diary |
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| This website was updated on: 10th September 2005 |
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| Thursday 17th February 2005 Yes... you read the date right, February! Freezing cold, pitch black outside and just a hint of despair in the air as yet another year passes without a Valentine's card. And it's round to Young's house to clear our minds of all things winter and start the preparations for sun, sea, sand and salmonella (oh no wait, that last one was Carrigart's agenda!) What? You thought we just turned up on the Sunday afternoon of camp in August ready to go? ... I know it may seem that way, and in fairness the main point on the agenda was Hobnobs or Twix to accompany our tea... but honestly, it all started a long time ago in a kitchen far, far away from Cranfield! |
| Get a flavour for Cranfield!!! If you're interested to know what really happens at Cranfield in the summer of 2005 then you may want to read 'Oggy's Diary' entries below, which we managed to steal from him after the camp! |
| Wednesday 30th April 2005 I'm wrecked! For those of you who aren't sure why I'm sooo tired today, you obviously have never been to a Crusaders Easter Houseparty, which for 2005 finished yesterday. You've got to go next year, they're awesome, compact versions of Cranfield, but without tents, 'pee-pods' or members of the opposite sex! So after Easter the real build up to Cranfield begins, the forms go out and the leaders wait in anticipation to see which over-enthusiastic Crusader is going to be the first in with their form... as it turned out Sarah (having missed out in 2004) got her application in before the ink on the page dried, along with fellow Dungannonite Lisa, proving that not all Dungannon folk are slow... maybe it's just Andrew Jackson! |
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| Wednesday 22nd June 2005 More preparation for Cranfield: Myself and Chris left for a three week tour of New Zealand, taking in all three British & Irish Lions test matches against the All Blacks. Our main agenda being to thoroughly research the origins and fundamental theology of the Maori 'Haka' war dance, which we would bve performing at Cranfield on the Tuesday night. As always, no expense spared to ensure perfection at camp. It was fortunate we'd made such a healthy profit during Cranfield Camp 2004... |
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| Friday 29th July 2005 Okay, enough messing about. Down to business. The male leaders load all the equipment we need for camp onto a lorry. Sory ladies but this is a man's night: lots of heavy stuff to lift, down and dirty in the dust of Crossgar, some hearty laughter, much back slapping and gun-flexing. No place for you women who will no doubt be frantically choosing your clothes to arrive up in on Sunday. Although, in fairness Gibbo was eventually able to join us, as his hairdresser got him an earlier appointment. |
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| Sunday 31st July 2005 4pm always seems to sneak up on us on Sunday as without warning the first few eager campers (and even more eager parents) arrive at camp. Suddenly what was a relaxing and quiet few hours have turned into absolute bedlam as Crusaders race to find their tents, don their camp t-shirts and run riot (unless of course you're Patrick, Mark or Bairdo who'd brought their own matching shark-wear!). All the time in the background you can hear cheers from parents as they offload their offspring and relish a week of peace and quiet! Great to see so many 'oldies' back at camp for the final time, complimented of course by a strong group of campers from all over our fair provence... and even one who wasn't! |
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| Tuesday 2nd August 2005 Tuesday afternoon... I'm tempted to just pass this by, but I'll venture a comment of two. The activity was meant to be a walk in Tolymore with something to spice it up, i.e. hunt the leader. Problems arose when after an hours hike Leachy was still nowhere near his 'hiding place'. Whitey and me almost choked on our ice creams when we heard this and had to wash it down with a second cup of tea. All in all I think people enjoyed their day out on this most pleasant of excursions! The evening proved to be for most the highlight of the camp. No not the cooks banoffee-a-la-tent or even Susie's amusing trick of losing her inhaler at every opportunity. But rather the awesome wealth of talent on display at the first ever 'Cranfield School of Performing Arts'! Never before has the world seen 50 Crusaders sing in three-piece harmony (Led expertly by Long Distance Clara and Deborah) or leaders recoil in terror as campers participate in the frightening "All Black Haka". Even Amy, with her angelic smile, looked strangely threatening when decorated in Maori war paint! As if that wasn't enough, Laura and Kimbo went all U.S. on us and taught a cheerleading routine that I witnessed re-enacted for outdoor pursuits instructors later in the week... Go, Cranfield, Go!!!! |
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| Wednesday 3rd August 2005 Following Neal's morning talk yesterday came Kyler, who was happy to prove how effecetive the helmet was as part of the armour of God by using Whitey's head for target practice. He hit a slight hook off the tee, but it would still have been a 250 yard drive none the less had Whitey's bonce not cushioned the blow... point bizarrely proven! At this point I reckon a big cheer for the cooks is required, who are now half way through their week at camp and have continued to produce the goods as they did so expertly last year. Mel and Janice held fort from last year (and were lucky to be asked back after a nasty incident involving Weetabix and a certain leaders sleeping bag... not to mention his beautifully crafter and patented water carrier!). Lindsey and Karen joined them in the 'toffee-tent' to keep us well fed... Great work ladies! The afternoon was plain sailing... or plane building to more accurate! And accuracy was indeed the name of the game as more ingenious designs unfolded as the activity progressed (Go Wild Thornberries!), but maybe didn't have the aerodynamic capabilities their design initially suggested... i.e. they fell from the sky like a stone, about as graceful as Kyler on a diving board! |
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| Thursday 4th August 2005 "What was that?!", "Where am I?!", "What's that strange ringing sound?!"... Examples of some phrases heard today by bleary eyed campers and leaders alike as alarms went off and the day began. So why on earth did we punish campers with a 7am alarm call? THe answer is very simple and very worthwhile: Outdorr Pursuits at Bluelough, Castlewellan! By 9:30am we were suited up, ready to go canoeing on Castlewellan Lake. I say canoeing, but mad water-fight, with occasional paddling may be closer to the truth! After lunch we headed for a huge hedged maze... childishly simple we thought as leaders, we'd give the kids a head start. What a rubbish idea that turned out to be. After half an hour I found myself back where I started with little clue as to where I'd gone wrong. Al the time those at the finish mocked and taunted me as if to suggest I'd never make it, the shame! Well, I proved them wrong... eventually! At this point a word should be said in recognition of Rachel and Beth who manfully kept going and reached the finish, even after some leaders who shall remain nameless had given up and hurdled the outer fence. Kyler and Chris will never be looked on in the same light again! We then divided up into groups. Our group's first activity was the climbing tower, a 30ft structure with various paths to the top, superb! Then onto archery, where Kim's team lasked a cutting edge and were promptly despatched with deadly accurate shooting! (I would like to point out that the previous statement was a metaphor and in no way means they were assassinated!) The evening saw a return to Kilkeel Presbyterian Church Halls for our annual drama extravaganza. And this year the competition was fantastic! Red Riding Hood's story was portrayed in every possible genre, from 'Steeks & Millies' to a musical number. Simply first class! |
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| Friday 5th August 2005 There's nothing more invigorating than a swim, and on a Friday at the end of camp, Kilkeel Leisure Centre provides that opportunity! And also some volleyball and stick in the mud. The banter was great and it was certainly an activity not to be missed, although all the female leaders (with the notable exception of Deborah) decided to woose out and watch from the sidelines. Only they know for sure why this sublime activity was below their standing... An ice-cream and cup of tea later, team games brought us back down to earth with a bump... some more than others as Ethan found to his cost when he was wheeled off to casualty with a broken toe! Dave Leach was speaker for the second year on the trot, giving us the low down (Big Brother style) on Jacob and Esau. God really spoke through him and made the Bible come alive.Dave held no punches, laying out Jacob's strengths and weaknesses and how we can learn from him. Crusaders and leaders alike were challenged, which led to some immensly exciting and useful discussions later each evening. All the while Steve Hall and Chris Blair were outstripping every twelfth night celebration theres ever been, creating a bonfire clearly visible from space! Campfire food was duly consumed and banter flowed well into the night... |
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| HAVE YOU ANY MEMORIES OF CRANFIELD YOU WANT TO SHARE OR COMMENTS ON OGGY'S DIARY ENTRIES?! ADD THEM TO THE GUESTBOOK ON THE CRANFIELD CAMP HOME PAGE... |
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| Saturday 30th July 2005 During our man's night we thought it would be a good idea to get up an hour earlier than usual and stop on route to Cranfield for a greasy fry-up in Newcastle. Sounded like a good idea until the flippin' alarm woke me at an unearthly hour! Anyway 10:30am and most of the crew had arrived at the field, some fresh from sleep others full of bacon and eggs! Once again we were blessed with good weather for set-up and with all hands on deck we got all the tents up by about 6 o'clock leaving just 'minor technical adjustments to do! The only minor upset was that I appeared to have thrown out one of my favourite dollies... for those of you unfamiliar with tenting terminology I don't mean my plastic, blonde haired toy Patricia, but rather the wooden attachments which go on top of the marquee! Then, somewhat of a tradition, it's off to pitch and putt, where the lads can exercise their competitive personalities whilst the girls and Whitey hack lumps out of the ground. |
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| Monday 1st August 2005 The great advantage of starting camp on a Sunday is that your first full day is a Monday, which means it's straight into the 'meat' of the camp early doors! Kerry got the morning talks on the road by intorducing the topic of the Crusaders badge and the first piece of the armour of God - The Shield of Faith. Team games kicked off, passed off and served off with footie, captain's ball and volleyball. The skills levels traditionally low from the leaders with their usual excuses of 'grass being too long', 'ball being too flat' and 'kids being too good', with the likes of Ali Millar taking great pleasure in running rings around all of us on the soccer pitch! Beach games followed team games after lunch, which (as is now tradition) turned into a rather cold, yet invigorating swim in the sea! I'm still recovering from having my arm twisted into going in. For some reason a huge Hokey-Cokey session occurred which ended up 'putting our whole selves in'... then a run for the beach to get 'our whole selves out'! If you're ever looking your vehicle pushed to a garage after it breaks down, then please contact any Crusader who's ever attended Cranfield. We seem to practice for such an eventuality every year... well the last two anyway. Last year it was a car, this year a minibus! Next year's team-push is rumoured to be the Belfast-to-Dublin Enterprise, although that's still to be confirmed by Translink. That's a challenge only Stephen Chisholm may be able to take on. |
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| Saturday 6th August 2005 Saturday always comes all too quickly and although most of the camp are lacking large quantities of sleep and desperately need their clothes overhauled, there's always that feeling that camp should be a two-week affair! (Before I go any further, it ain't gonna happen!) "Parting is such sweet sorrow" (An apt phrase worthy of the great Bard), no other phrase says it better, especially this year as Cranfield camp says farewell to 14 of it's most committed campers... Final year Crusaders, we salute you! As the campers slowly ebb away, back to their homes (or for the lucky ones a further holiday to parts unknown) leaders slowly rouse themselves once again into action, dismantling tents, packing boxes and clearing the field. It's slow going, but we get there in the end. By 8pm, the field is cleared, equipment left into storage and the lorry returned. To look back over Cranfield 2005, it would be naive to attempt to compare it to previous years as each group of campers is unique, but certainly this year's camp was fantastic, an enjoyable experience from my viewpoint and hopefully from the campers perspective as well (Don't forget to add your own thoughts to the guestbook on the home page!). Preparations are already underway for 2006... I can't wait that long!!! |
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| Sunday 7th August 2005 Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz............................................... |
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