Just back from a weekend with Scraggies in Llangollen, marshalling at the annual Jaguar-Land Rover corporate challenge event. 68 Teams of six roamed the countryside, gaining points by miles covered, and challenges successfully completed. We stopped at an activity centre (more of a basic hotel). Duncan Hill and I were allocated helping at the climbing and abseiling base, and it was an early start on Saturday morning to be breakfasted and up at the rocks with everything set out by 7.45am. It was a dull foggy morning, but we ascended above the cloud as we got close to the rocks.
We managed 20 teams between 8.00am and 10.00am. Our task was to fit each member with a harness and helmet, before sending them to either the abseiling or rock climbing professionals.
The problem was managing queuing teams, all keen to move on, while making sure no-one queue jumped – not easy with two separate activities. We had to be quite firm with some teams, including the board of directors team! We were very busy.
For most of the the time we were able to show team memebers how to put on the harness, and then just check each one was tight enough before issuing a helmet. In some cases we had to intervene a bit more personally to pull the harness into the right place and tighten the leg and waist straps. I always asked permission from the ladies…. With just two of us, plus a volunteer from Jaguar who was booking teams in and out, it was all a bit hectic.
Because we were near to the start/finish, we were quiet during the middle part of the day, and I was persuaded to abseil, something I haven’t done for years. Despite some apprehension as I went over the edge, I quite enjoyed it! We had time for a quiet lunch, enjoying the view, before we were busy again at the end of the day.
On Saturday night we joined the teams at their camp site for a dinner and presentation. The Last Night of the Proms was on the radio in the minibus on the way home, and we were happily clapping along to the Sailors Hornpipe – a Proms tradition that most of you will not be aware of. The fun continued in the Centre bar, with the Proms on TV – Singing Rule Britannia in a Welsh bar, while drinking scotch. Perfect.
We stopped to walk along Llangollen aqueduct on the way home this morning.
A nice finish to a really enjoyable weekend. See Recent Photos for more images
Technically we live in Oaktree House, but sadly the tree had to go.
We now have a thriving Oakstump at the front of the house.
