For many of our members our Activity Weekends at Avon Tyrrell are a highlight of the year, and we booked for 2025, in order to have the accessible cabins we need, shortly after our holiday in 2023.
Preparation
Many things need to be in place for a successful holiday. and the planning starts months earlier, although it often needs to be revised in the run up to the weekend. In this case injury prevented one of our members – who had been anticipating it all year – from attending, and the Black Firs cabin – with its ceiling hoist, was not going to be available.
Meals needed to be planned – although now we know we can have a supermarket delivery to the cabin on Friday afternoon we do not need to need to pack, and keep chilled, as much food. We had pizza and salad on Saturday night, but still need to ensure that everyone can have something they like. We take some kitchen utensils, cleaning materials etc.
The Phab minibus and all the equipment, luggage and passengers need to be come together for loading.
Friday – travel and seaside
We arrived at Avon Tyrrell in time to eat the picnic lunches we had brought, unpack the minibus and receive our food delivery.
Once we were settled in it was time to load the minibus and a car, and set off for fish and chips at Milford-on-Sea. The minibus went directly there, and the car picked up our order which had been sent earlier.
Activities
On Saturday morning we had a cooked breakfast and made sandwiches,
We split into two groups for activities, with sessions on Saturday morning, two on Saturday afternoon and the fourth on Sunday morning, but the following descriptions and images are an amalgamation of the activities of both groups.
High Ropes
There are several activities in the High Ropes area, and as they take some time to set up the safety ropes for any particular activity we don’t all do all of the possible activities.
An opportunity to rise, in a safety sling, high into the trees, is very popular.
Using the same safety ropes, there is a wire which stretches between two trees. Some members opted to climb up to the wire, and walk along it, supporting themselves with ropes hanging from another wire above them.
Another popular challenge was walking up a sloping set of logs.
There was also a platform mounted high at the top of a pole, which some of our braver members climbed – getting from the pole unto the platform is the tricky part.
Canoeing
Down at the lake is a jetty with a hoist. This allows someone who could not normally participate safely in aquatic adventures to board the catamaran constructed by lashing a plank to two standard canoes.
Other members ventured into the water in single and double canoes, and even a pedalo.
Climbing Wall
The climbing wall has a hoist attached to a beam, allowing it to provide support for someone in a safety sling without pulling them into the wall.
Other routes were available
Archery
Once again this brought out our inner Robin Hood.
Pizzas and campfires
We had a meal of Pizza and Salad – two chalets meant two kitchens, so we could cook many pizzas at the same time. Part of the preparation before the holiday had been asking members about food choices, and we made sure there were vegetarian and gluten free options for those who needed them.
We also had a selection of deserts with summer fruits, meringue nests, ice cream, strawberries etc.
After we had eaten we could go out and enjoy the campfire.
We could sit and enjoy the glow and look at the flames, have a glass of wine, toast marshmallows and sing traditional camp fire songs, according to taste.
Packing up and going home
Sunday morning breakfast was more staggered, and members helped themselves to cereal, fruit, yoghurst, toast etc, and beds were being stripped, bags packed etc.
This was followed by our fourth activity session, and lunch in the main house, so we did not have to clean up afterwards, and could focus on loading the minibus and setting off for home. What was the rush?
This was also the day of the Final of the UEFA Women’s Euro and we are very glad our keenest fans managed to see the amazing result!
