Written by Ethaan, Aria and Ornella (Year 5)
How we got there
On the day of the residential we went to school with all of our luggage. At approximately nine o’clock we put our bags on the coach and we set off. We were on the coach for about 2 hours and when we got off we sat on the grass next to the lake. We were soon assigned our rooms so we headed to them and unpacked. Then we had packed lunch and played games on the lawn for the rest of the day. At 6:30 we had dinner then we went on a night walk until 9:30 then we went to bed. When we woke up we headed to breakfast.
Food
When we arrived at Ashburnham we were given a packed lunch containing: a sandwich, a packet of crisps, an orange, two cookies and a bottle of water. For a snack we had chocolate muffins. For dinner we had a burger and chips and for dessert we had ice cream. The next morning we ate an English breakfast containing: sausages, bacon, eggs, beans and hash browns. Or you could have eaten cereal. For snacks we had chocolate chip cookies. For lunch we had pasta and chicken and for dessert we had eton mess which was delicious. For a snack we had chocolate muffins. For dinner on Thursday we had sausages and mash and for dessert we had tiramisu. On our last day at Ashburnham we had cereal and English breakfast. For snacks we had chocolate chip cookies. For lunch we had fish fingers and chips and for dessert we had a slice of cake. We wished we could go back as the food was delicious!
Activities
The fun activities that we participated in at Ashburnham were the following: canoeing, archery, slacklining, fencing, bushcraft, orienteering and fun outside games. In canoeing we paddled around the lake and afterwards we had a choice if you wanted to jump in or not. After an activity you have a small break for about 10 or 20 minutes in your dorm to get ready for the next activity such as: put sunscreen on and put suitable clothes on. After each day you get to have a shower and get into comfy clothes or your pyjamas. At 9:30 you have to get into bed and at 9:45 you have to turn off your lights and quieten down. Breakfast is at 8:30 and you can get up and out of your dorm to get ready at 7:30 the earliest. In archery we played fun games like the cutlery game, which determined what cutlery you are given to eat for dinner (not everyone had to do it if they didn’t want to). Another game was a game involving choosing which country you go to, who you go with and how you get there depending on where your arrow struck. In slacklining we learnt how to balance on the slackline and cool tricks like walking and sitting on it. We also played a game that when you are balancing on the slackline there will be a ball thrown at you to see if you could catch it. In fencing we played a game where you carried a tray in one hand and a foam sword in the other and the point of the game is to knock other people’s trays off and protect your own. We also played a few matches and potentially with a few of the instructors. In bush craft we learnt how to make a fire and we roasted marshmallows. We also made stick houses which was really fun. In orienteering we went on a hike finding letters to create a word. We also went on a night hike which was beautiful and we were also looking for stuff on the way. We were looking for something pink, a heart shaped rock, a living creature, something unusual which should not be there and something edible. We also played fun games which are in the pictures.
