Niagara 97 Diary

The Camp was organised by West Lancashire Scouts (mainly Bernard Pendlebury), and involved the transport of 460 Scouts, Ventures and Leaders to Canada for Red Rose 97 for two weeks, An Invitation came from an ex local Scouter who emigrated to Canada. The plan to stay at a Scout Camp Site, was quickly expanded when we learnt the numbers going, and size of camp site. The camp was split, with the majority of Scouts going to the Scout site (Wetaskiwin), with the Majority of Ventures going to the KOA site. We also had two separate leaving dates, the KOA plus camp staff going out on a Monday, the rest on Wednesday (from Manchester)

There were 4 Vikings, they don't seem to be mentioned much because we all did our separate thing, meeting up occasionally, but meeting other people from other Units mainly.

Mon. 21^st After all the planning we are finally off. All the gear was checked last night and gathered together at 7:30 tonight. We had a game of volleyball at Ventures (no injuries) then it was time for bed for a few hours.

Tues 22^nd I get up at 2am, get my hand luggage together then walk into Dalton Square. The Bus arrives at 3:00 with Bernard on board (after he said only one pick up!!) it has only a small boot area so we take up 11 seats of coach so it is three to a seat for a lot of Scouts. I pack the back of the bus so give myself a comfy scat on a rucksack.

We leave Lancaster at 3:15, 5 minutes later rucksacs are falling around me so spend another 20 minutes repacking. We arrive in Birmingham at 5:55 and are the first bus there (despite coming the furthest). Bernard runs off to arrange things. I get seat 12a and wonder who is on 11 if it is a Scout they are getting kicked off. ! We were really quite quick checking in, but we have a long wait for the other coaches who set off at 4:15. The last ones are checking in five mins before flight departs. Then Bernard gets on and sits in row 11... About 6 non scouts (nightmare for them)

We flew out from Birmingham 8:05 a good meal was had. Air stewardesses get hassled as NO one sits down, and wanders around talking. It is a long flight with three movies' Arrive 10:05 Toronto. Have photos before Immigration. Helen gets stopped and has fruit confiscated. Have to wait as Wetaskiwin mob are sent off first. We all get on School Buses '36' to a coach, unfortunately Ken on the airport door stopped counting so we get about 50 peoples gear to load. The driver insists we keep the aisle clear so we repack me sat at the back with Nog. Within two miles the aisle is blocked so we sit in front of the mess. We drive in a convoy to the campsite the QEW Motorway is blocked so we have a diversion. Journey uneventful apart from nodding dogs. In Niagara our bus decides to get lost (I saw the sign to take). And radios for help, after an excellent three-point turn, we are back in business. Arrive at the site at about 13:00.

 Our bus is last to arrive and first to unpack. We all move off and arrange sites. We move four times before we are happy. The Camp Decides to Pitch tents in a horseshoe. Ormskirk Moles decide to camp elsewhere, and move sites later. Time for a swim!! Then food time !! 10 of us decide to get some food, already some from the site are there, so we fill the place. I order a BLT submarine, everyone else appears to have bigger appetites and order family sized pizzas for two people (don't they know they are in North America?)... I end up helping some 6th Fulwood Scouts with theirs. Get talking to some locals they say best beaches on Lake Erie. I take some Pizza back to the site and find some hungry Ventures (easily done). Take a shower then go buy shaving foam, shampoo and suntan lotion etc. to bed at 10pm. I have been up since Monday morning with three hours sleep 43 hours.

The Site it was a Kampgrounds Of America Site (KOA) based about 4 miles from Niagara centre (but continual buildings). It is basically a trailer park (American caravans, and motorhomes). But with large areas for camping. We were placed on an open group field, next to the railway. The site had all mod cons washing facilities, swimming pools, comparable to a Mediterranean site, but the individual campsites were much larger. Some of the camp staff and ventures booked into huts, but these were some distance from the rest of us There was a bar within staggering distance (007), and cafes serving cheap food also.

Weds 23^rd After a cool night (Bernard said we wouldn't need sleeping bags, glad I didn't listen), and a noisy one (he also didn't mention the trains) woke at 8:30 had a shower and got cornflakes and milk from site shop. laze around. Catch Bus into Niagara (bus stop out side the site ) wait for Bernard to appear before crossing the border into USA- Fill in immigration card and wait for them to be processed.

Wait two hours on "Rainbow Bridge" (between US and Canada, overlooking the Falls) for them to be processed. Helen is one of last to be checked through but gets asked questions again (must be something about her!). Go into USA, catch the bus to a mall (l50 stores!) along with about 10 others. Spend 2 hrs walking round find store selling APS film ! Me, Alistair and Nigel decide to find a Mountain Bike Shop we had seen from the bus but get wrong directions, and after 30 minutes of walking decide to turn back. We find a bus stop so wait for bus. Get on the bus and go in wrong direction! Have 20 mins to kill in another mall.

This one is very, long + big car parks and empty! Get back on the bus though rough area of Niagara and back to the border. Al has to he back of 9:00 we get back 9:30 so he gets a bollocking. Shower and go for a walk find a Color Your World store and a 24-hr "Drug store' go back to the site and find 007 a bar with leaders in it. bed at 1 am

Thurs 24^th Leave at 9:00 for Amusement Park' Marineland" pack onto School buses. Has the worlds longest steel roller coaster, find out it is also one of the most boring! It has 4 loops but is slow. I prefer dragon boat swing go on 6 times. See Killer whales perform also bears - sad at the conditions they are kept, as well as the general lack of safety, I thought they were into safety? Leave at 5pm to site again. to 007 to 1am.

Fri 25^th Up and off the site at 8:30 on London Bus to Niagara on the lake for Jet Boating. excellent go up and down grade five rapids. See a grade six. Very wet, cos we decided (as a group)not to use the provided waterproofs. Spend the afternoon relaxing on a grass bank overlooking Lake Ontario back to base on London Buses, shower and go into Niagara for fireworks and Niagara at night (lit up) v impressive but we managed to walk too far away from the fireworks. Bus overloaded for trip back and we got stuck in traffic. Then it was back to 007s till late

Sat 26^th Up and off the site at 8:00 in school buses to Wetaskiwin Camp. It would appear they are not ready for us as no-one around when we find them they are not ready for us so stand round. Go to flag break. We had invited Scouts from North America for a Camporee for the weekend, so had a great mixture of Scouts, we still did outnumber the 'locals', but only just. Then come back for breakfast $2 ok.

We are then already running late for activities. Wonder round for a bit before helping to run our base - the old medieval waterskiing without water. The most uncoordinated? Americans, followed closely by the Canadians. Lunch time! We sit and wait and watch the queues. Decide not to have any food as we aren't going to be served till 2pm. Afternoon turns into a bit of a flop - not enough going on, so I sit around talking most of the time, I find our Scouts who complain about cold showers. I impress them with comments of 3 swimming pools, hot showers and washing machines (not) . Play volleyball Go to a meeting at 5pm about the Expeditions till 6pm then go for food. Sit in more queues for food. Go to entertainment with Cabbage starring. Leave at 10pm singing we're going home, we're going home, we're going, Koa's going home (we were quite relieved to be going back to our home comforts). Back to the site + 007

Sun 27^th Do some washing in morning and to a local water park in afternoon - run down but wet every time I go to the wave pool, the waves turn off (five times). Suddenly I remember it is Sunday so I look at the clock - five past five (we are due to have a camp BBQ). We catch the bus to No Frills (yep a really cheap supermarket) it is already shut so walk back looking out for shops Georges Leyland Group buy up one Spar like shop. I check out camp shop then walk to local. Buy hot dogs and rolls, and cook. We generally have a mellow evening round the site. 6th Fulwood order pizzas arrive at 10:30 (ha) early to bed.

Mon 28th Get up at 7:30 to go to Toronto on School buses, get dropped off at the CN Tower - we are first ones up as a group of 29 so get a group discount. The Glass Floor is scary first time on it but you do get used to it. Find food Mad diner. At 11:00 go on a Bus tour (that allows you to get off) get off at Mall look for outdoor shop, ask around then set off walking find 3 shops next door to each other! Find Gas !!! (for the expedition) go to bar any buy a celebratery drink. Go back, buy gas and Leatherman tool so back to mall and wonder around for a bit. Buy a watch, then get back on bus and do the complete tour an excellent place. Full of diverse cultures. get off and go to the mall( a big underground shopping centre, to cosset the shoppers from the extremities of the winter). Challenge myself to get back to CN Tower without going above ground (a distance of about 2 miles) Get hopelessly, lost come up and wander around eventually find main street and back to the CN Tower with 5 minutes to spare. Back on buses and return to KOA. And 007's

Tues 29th I get up and have a trial pack , then go to No Frills with the team for a food buying extravaganza. We discover Nutri grain bars for the first time (what a welcome addition!). Spend the afternoon with Clive (7^th Preston) we do the Cave of the winds trip to the base of Niagara falls, then out to the Summit mall and buy Oakleys (about 50% of UK price), and back into Canada. I have a showe and, when the Wetaskiwin expedition mob appear, we lead them off the 007. They have a few tales to tell! I eat as pizza , and bed for 12.

Weds 30th We leave at 5am, stop at McDonalds for breakfast (just like in the UK) Arrive at the 'West gate' in Algonquin National Park to organise permits, and find field mouse in toilets. Team photos were taken, and we split into 3 groups - Phil, Anthony, Ian, Tim, John, Andy and me. We are last to leave at 10:30, a trend we are to continue! Arrive at lunch at 1pm and have a swim. We stop regularly and get to the site at 4pm have a swim water a bit smelly. Get more drinking water from the centre of the lake, boil water well, then add iodine (doesn't taste too bad for me), cook our food (away from tents) and look for trees. Saw one person all day! After several false starts eventually find a good tree just as it is getting dark (we need to hoist all food, and clothes we have cooked in into the trees to protect ourselves from bears) Ian and Anthony take one rucksack between them (FULL of food) will it snap? Try howling for wolves, but no response and go to bed. I Sleep out, because there was no signs of rain. A chipmunk nibbles at my finger!

Thurs 31^st Wake up after glorious nights sleep at 8:30. We have a leisurely start, and leave last at 10:50! The Lunch stop is a very picturesque lake, I have a great swim, and eat. The other teams have seen a Moose on the way. The Afternoon felt like quite a long walk, I run short of water and a lot of hills not marked especially towards end. Saw 3 people. I reach the site at 4pm and straight in for a swim. Swim to an island a long way come back and dry out on a sandy beach. Find a tree immediately and do a trial run. Cook food and cat, go for another swim at 8:30. Sleep out again with Phil. I wake up to find Phil walking about with a torch convinced that there is an animal wandering about, he goes to sleep in the tent.

Fri 1^st It turns out Phil hardly got any sleep there was no evidence of animals found after a good search. Got up at 7am, after a horrific site from my sleeping bag :- had a swim, ate and even the Horizontal team (as we were called) got away by 9:30. We caught up Andy's team, over took then rested for 15 minutes to let them pass. The Lunch stop was at 11:20 and it was colder - too cold to swim. On the walk back we saw about 20 people including two women with a husky dog (Phil & I were all for turning back).We arrived back at 2:10 to find the coach just pulled up. After a quick Coke break at the west gate we travelled onto Algonquin Outfitters to get the T- shirts and other sundries. Back on the coach we saw a wolf crossing the road, four cars were parked we just drove on through (together with the chipmunks, and Field Mouse this was the only wildlife I saw)

Stopped at Webbers (famous apparently) for a Burger (or three) the watched the Simpsons on TV (Doh) and made it back to site by 8:30. After a shower, a shave etc. it was out to 007's again. The Canadian Canoeists made it back for 10:30, and to the bar (some of them) by 11:30. They had walked further than we had (carrying Canoes) as well as paddling, spent long days, and short nights! I know who had the more restful time!

Sat 2^nd After a lie in to 8:30 it was time for more washing and a cooked breakfast down the road for $6, George and me just made it before the rush (of other Ventures). A midday start was in order for the baseball game in Buffalo. We sat round for about 45 minutes waiting for the tickets to come through from the other camp and just about got the start (but missed the pre match warm up). In the end we could have missed the first two hours. It seemed to be boring and a fix, during this time we attempted several Mexican waves (ok for two blocks but then very few people about) the game warmed up for the last hour and the Bisons won after 2 extra innings. After getting back on the buses we waved our passports at the customs point again and made it back. After a shower it was time for another night at 007's.

Mon 4^th After a short lie in it was all systems go to get everything packed. By 12 I was completely ready with freshly ironed uniform (not by me!) showered and shaved, we had asked for a 1 pm pick up, but the buses didn't turn up till 2:15 so we had time for presentations, group photos and unit photos, and a litter sweep.

The bus was packed with gear and we were off. The Airport was quickly reached. Cheek in was a lot quicker, helped by having 8 desks open at the end, so we had all checked in by 16:3O. Time for Customs. They told me I had to put my Leatherman in the hold, so had to go back and cheek it in an envelope, for which I got a receipt. Back in customs and the bleeper which I rang well and truly. Time for a quick search and I found a dime, my watch and various metal parts in my back? Once through there was time for a last hot dog then onto the plane. Me, George and Simon had got tickets together on row 28. Another man with 2 young kids had got row 30, this was next to the fire exit, so he had to swap, and luckily we were on hand to help him out in his hour on need. Slept for about 1 hour. But kept getting woken up by Ventures discovering how much room we had, ad sitting to talk to us.

Tues 5^th Carl's Birthday. Arrive Birmingham 06:35 to Baggage claim, got all baggage except my Leatherman. Report to Serviceair. When I get out not all the coaches had arrived, so I sit and watch others pack the bus, once again it is 3 to a seat, and we are on the same bus. We travelled back in a convoy of 5 buses to Charnock Richard, with us at the back where we have a brief pit stop and telephone call session. Back in Lancaster 10: 00 at Post House Hotel where all the parents are waiting -

The weather was just about perfect - no rain, and only 2-3 days of cloud. Temperatures were in the low 20's, falling to about 5 at night.

The trip cost £475.00 included :- Transport, Air Tax, Camp fees, some trips, T-Shirt, Necker and Badge.

Thanks to all the Organisers and everyone who went I had a great time.

Ps Thurs 7^th had a delivery of post today. In it was my Leatherman