Last week I went to West Sussex for a couple of days of training. I’ve talked before about my forays into becoming a casual (read: occasional) outdoor activity instructor (archery | fencing | selection day) The full-time instructors were over at the training centre for two weeks (depending on what they were already qualified in) … More Bushcraft training day
I’ve talked before about getting my archery instructor qualification and before the end of the month I’ll tell you all about the climbing instructor training but for now, I’m going to tell you what it’s like to actually teaching archery sessions with a group of teenagers. The teenagers in question were my current Rangers, aged … More Inspiring kids: archery vs Rangers
I’ve wanted to start a series on travel books for a really long time and this is the one I needed to start it on. A few years ago Mick Conefrey wrote The Adventurer’s Handbook. I haven’t read it but I assume it’s along similar lines – small tastes of stories about travellers, adventurers and … More Travel Library: How to Climb Mont Blanc in a Skirt by Mick Conefrey
One of the big things in my life is Girlguiding. I’ve been a volunteer for eleven and a half years now. Well, no, I’ve been an adult leader for eleven and a half years now. I was an occasional unit helper while I was away at university and I was a Young Leader for a … More Inspiring kids: introduction to fencing
All Girl Guides and Girl Scouts have five homes around the world, the World Centres. We have one of them right here in London, Pax Lodge, and I spent the Thinking Day weekend there. Thinking Day is the most important day in the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS)’s calendar – it’s … More Turn Back Time: A Pax Lodge Challenge Around London
Sparkle & Ice is Girlguiding’s big winter survival camp event. This was its third year and also my third year there. Sparkle & Ice happens at three training & activity centres simultaneously – Waddow in Lancashire, Blackland Farm in Sussex and Foxlease in Hampshire. I took my Rangers to Foxlease and the adventure started with … More Sparkle & Ice 2019: Sparkle & Ice was sparkly and icy!
The first time you hear the words “camping” and “Iceland” in the same sentence, it doesn’t sound appealing. When you’ve been there in the summer and seen how solid-roof accommodation both fills up and becomes stupidly expensive, suddenly camping in Iceland looks like a better idea. Here are a few things to know about camping … More The A-Z of Iceland: Camping
Last year, I wrote a book. You might not know this because I don’t advertise it as heavily as maybe I should. I was inspired by TV’s Alexander Armstrong, who made a documentary series on ITV on a similar journey, Norway to Alaska via the Arctic, and then wrote (or possibly “wrote”) a tie-in book. … More I wrote a book: an update a year on
I don’t talk enough about my outdoors adventures here – actually, the truth is I don’t have enough outdoors adventures. In 2019 I’m going to have more of them, I promise. You may or may not know that I have an archery qualification and more recently, a fencing qualification and recently the opportunity came up … More “It’s an emergency. We need some salads carrying”
Back in 2002, I went on a school trip to Russia. I’ve written about part 1 (Moscow) here and part 2 (St Petersburg) here – but there’s more! Earlier in the year, I rediscovered a stack of boxes under my bed, containing assorted precious things from my schooldays, mostly. If I’d stopped to think about … More Documenting Russia 2002
I Am A Polar Bear 