Day Two: The Quest Continues!

What a day it’s been here at the magical land of St Briavels! Believe it or not, the children actually slept in this morning (yes, really – we checked twice to make sure we weren’t dreaming). After a much-needed lie-in, they emerged from their rooms looking surprisingly refreshed and suspiciously cheerful… maybe too cheerful.

To kick things off, we headed down for a breakfast that would impress even the fussiest of food critics. On offer: toast, tea, cereal, juices, and a proper cooked breakfast. Plates were cleared, bellies were full, and we were ready to face the day – well, after a few sleepy yawns and some enthusiastic debates over how many hash browns is too many (answer: there’s no such thing).

With the sun shining brightly (yes, in the UK – we’re shocked too), we made our way outside for a jam-packed day of outdoor fun. First on the schedule: fencing and archery. If you’ve ever wanted to see a group of children become a mix of medieval knights and fictional heroes like Legolas, Katniss Everdeen and Hawkeye… today was your day. The archery skills were seriously impressive, and as for the fencing? Let’s just say there were dramatic sword flourishes and more than a few victorious battle cries.

Then it was time to cool off with some absolutely chaotic water team games. The first challenge involved rolling water balloons down lengths of guttering – which sounds simple, until gravity, coordination, and accidental splashes got involved. Next came a game of ‘hot potato’… but with water balloons. As expected, it ended with a lot of soggy children and even soggier teachers (purely by accident, of course…).

And just when we thought it couldn’t get any wetter – enter the rubber duck rescue mission. Two teams, one pipe full of holes, a duck in need of salvation, and only fingers (and the occasional elbow or knee) to plug the gaps. Children dashed back and forth with jugs of water, trying to float their duck to safety while the pipe tried its best to leak from every angle. It was madness. It was genius. It was gloriously wet.

After drying off and grabbing lunch, it was time for the moment of truth: the Great Egg Drop Challenge. Last night, the children designed and built protective contraptions to keep their eggs safe from a dizzying drop from the top of the castle. Some eggs soared. Others… did not. There were gasps, cheers, and a whole lot of egg puns. It was, dare we say, eggcellent.

With suncream reapplied and water bottles topped up, we set off on a guided walk through some of the stunning local scenery. Spirits were… mixed at first (“A walk? In this heat?!”), but the grumbling didn’t last long. The views were incredible – we stood on the England-Wales border, admired the River Wye (our canoeing destination tomorrow), and wandered into the peaceful Forest of Dean. In the end, many of the kids voted it as one of their favourite activities of the trip so far. Who’d have guessed?

After a bit of free time to relax in their rooms, play games in the lounge, or soak up the last of the sunshine outside, we tucked into a delicious dinner of chicken curry or jacket potatoes, followed by another heavenly dessert (seriously, pudding has been a highlight this week).

We rounded off the day with a magical campfire evening – complete with hilarious stories, songs and steaming mugs of hot chocolate. We laughed, we sang and we finished the day feeling cosy, content, and slightly smoky.

Right now, the rooms are quiet (a miracle). The children are fast asleep (some even before lights-out). It’s been a big day, full of big laughs and even bigger splashes – and tomorrow, we take to the water for our canoeing adventure on the River Wye.

Stay tuned. Things are about to get paddly.

Tom