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Steve Wardle - Ullswater, The Lake District, 1982
As far as I was concerned I was sent on the Outward Bound course as punishment due to the fact I was a difficult child at school and at home. I remember the journey up to
Ullswater from London on the train, I was on my own, the journey felt like it lasted for ever, in a good way. Into the back of a Land Rover at Ullswater and on to the big house by the lake, I think the first night we had to jump in to the lake, this was in March!
I can only remember bits of the course after this, being lowered down a vertical cliff in a emergency rescue cage, upside down. Climbing mount helvellyn, through the clouds to emerge into brilliant blue sky's and the ground completely covered with snow. Ice picking down a frozen water fall. I had a really bad experience when canoeing, I'm sure my canoe was to small for me and because of this I suffered from poor circulation and in the end was taken to the local cottage hospital and remember being put into a warm bath to recover from hypothermia. I do remember being in the hospital bed with a really nice bowl of vegetable soup. The other thing I enjoyed was sleeping out on my own in the forest with just a candle and a plastic sheet for cover.
The other people on the course were a strange mixture made up of the following, a marine, a rioter from the Toxteth riots, and a shy girl called Gayle. I recall teasing the marine so much in the dormitory that he threw his iron at me (he was ironing his clothes at the time) I ran out of there and kept out of his way until he calmed down.
I still have brilliant memories of the whole experience, I have always remembered the motto "To serve to strive and not to yield" and honestly believe that the course has contributed to making me the person I am today. However, I'm sure people who know me still think I'm difficult!!!
I'd like to thank the staff who managed to put up with me all those years ago, thank you.
Steve Wardle.
Course attended in 1982/3
Ullswater from London on the train, I was on my own, the journey felt like it lasted for ever, in a good way. Into the back of a Land Rover at Ullswater and on to the big house by the lake, I think the first night we had to jump in to the lake, this was in March!
I can only remember bits of the course after this, being lowered down a vertical cliff in a emergency rescue cage, upside down. Climbing mount helvellyn, through the clouds to emerge into brilliant blue sky's and the ground completely covered with snow. Ice picking down a frozen water fall. I had a really bad experience when canoeing, I'm sure my canoe was to small for me and because of this I suffered from poor circulation and in the end was taken to the local cottage hospital and remember being put into a warm bath to recover from hypothermia. I do remember being in the hospital bed with a really nice bowl of vegetable soup. The other thing I enjoyed was sleeping out on my own in the forest with just a candle and a plastic sheet for cover.
The other people on the course were a strange mixture made up of the following, a marine, a rioter from the Toxteth riots, and a shy girl called Gayle. I recall teasing the marine so much in the dormitory that he threw his iron at me (he was ironing his clothes at the time) I ran out of there and kept out of his way until he calmed down.
I still have brilliant memories of the whole experience, I have always remembered the motto "To serve to strive and not to yield" and honestly believe that the course has contributed to making me the person I am today. However, I'm sure people who know me still think I'm difficult!!!
I'd like to thank the staff who managed to put up with me all those years ago, thank you.
Steve Wardle.
Course attended in 1982/3