Phab Holiday in Avon Tyrrell – Friday – Travelling, Archery and Campfire

So many people (24) went this year that we used 5 cars. as well as our trusty minibus.

Minibus loaded and almost ready to go.

The weather was lovely, so the journey was dreadful ! As well as the normal attraction of a day at the seaside the Bournemouth Air Festival was in progress. Since its formation in 2009 the festival claims to have entertained over nine-million people, and they were all on the roads between Oxford and Avon Tyrrell that day !
We arrived, only a little late for the Archery session we had booked, hastily ate our sandwiches and unleashed our inner toxopholite (shoot arrows in the general direction of the target).


After archery we unloaded our luggage, and our valiant kitchen team cooked the choices we had selected of spaghetti  bolognaise, pasta carbonara, or a vegetarian pasta option.
Another keen group of forest foragers had been gathering wood and pine cones, and we had another campfire in the fire pit next to the cabin.

We also had cherry tomatoes and baby sweetcorn as a vegetarian option, but delicious for everybody.

Not a lazy Sunday at Avon Tyrrell – breakfast, more activities, and packing to go home

Breakfast was not as elaborate as the Full English we had on Saturday, we had a tasty continental breakfast instead.


We followed this with more activities. People who had not had a chance to do the High Ropes on Saturday now had a chance.


All this activity gave us a good appetite for Chicken Casserole for lunch.
We packed out bags, loaded the minibus and cleaned the chalets.

Finally we had the group photography – always an activity in itself  !
Here Helen and Simon are setting up cameras on auto timers to take the picture of the group gathered outside the cabin.

The seaside at Avon Beach

Oxford is a long way from the sea, so when we have the chance on a Phab holiday, we love to go the the sea. Last year we went crabbing at Mudeford, but this time we went for a evening trip to get Fish and Chips from All Things Fish at Avon Beach (OSM).

After eating we enjoyed being at the seaside, looking for shells and pebbles, paddling, and watching the view of the Isle of Wight.

Archery at Avon Tyrrell

We brought out our inner Robin Hood in a couple of Archery sessions, split into two groups so everyone had plenty of opportunity to have a go.
Once again they had a gadget which allows archery, using a standard bow in a clamp, with a gate latch to release the bowstring.

Everyone who wanted to was able to have a go at archery.

This is just a selection of those who took part.

 
 

Evening meal and Campfire at Avon Tyrrell

After our swim some of us played games in the large chalet.

We had a choice of pasta carbonara or pasta with tomato sauce for our evening meal, with salad and home made coleslaw.
The drink in the wine glass is elderflower and pomegranate, rather than rosé!
After the meal we went down to the campfire site by the lake, and built a fire.

 

 
We toasted marshmallows, and sang campfire songs.

 
 
 

Oxford Phab Holiday at Avon Tyrrell 2016 – Highlights

We had such a good holiday at Avon Tyrrell in 2015 that we decided to return, doing some of the same activities, and trying some different ones.
We booked the same chalet, with its large communal area for cooking, eating and socialising.

We hope our next holiday will be as good as this one !
We now have a video, made by Patti, of the highlights of the holiday.
https://vimeo.com/172919607

We also have a PeerTube Playlist of videos from the holiday at https://peertube.paladyn.org/videos/watch/playlist/fe4d9703-76d7-4763-8968-cafa9486fc02 – more videos will be added as I get round to them

Error : Peertube playlist id 1 not found !

High Ropes at Avon Tyrrell 2016

After our Archery session we moved on to the High Ropes. These are allowed us to get high up into the trees !
DSC00006In the middle of this picture Maria is climbing a tree, watched by Tom and some of the Avon Tyrrell instructors.
DSC00008I am walking along a log above the forest.
https://vimeo.com/167383472
I do make it to the end !
DSC00012Trisha climbing.
DSC00016Trisha has climbed even higher, while, in the background, Helen has climbed up to the horizontal log.
https://vimeo.com/167383748
Kelly going for a swing !
DSC00029Sarah on the High Ropes – heading up,
DSC00038and has enjoyed the experience !

This short clip of Tom is hosted on this PeerTube server.

Note that PeerTube takes privacy very very seriously – accessing YouTube or Vimeo videos also shares your IP address, but does not warn you.