Sussex school celebrates 50th visit to the Broads
One of the last schools to holiday on the Broads will be celebrating their 50th anniversary visit this week.
A hundred pupils and 23 adults from Steyning Grammar School in West Sussex will be taking out16 cruisers from Herbert Woods boatyard at Potter Heigham on a learning experience of a lifetime.
The school has been bringing children on a ‘Learning to Live’ experience since 1954 and on board will be the grandchildren, children, nieces and nephews of some of the original pupils to make the trip.
“When they grow up many of them try to relive the trip by bringing their families back to the Broads, because it’s so special,”
said Jeff Loader, a house and maths master, who has been organising the trip for 26 years.
Among the party is retired food technology teacher Cheril Evans-Jones, who has been coming on the trip for 38 years – and is travelling from her home in Somerset.
The trip, which will be Jeff’s, and possibly the school’s, last, is designed to teach the 14 and 15 year old Year 10 pupils life and team building skills. Apart from learning to handle the boats each crew of eight is in charge of its own housekeeping budget, has to plan its own menus, stock up with supplies, cook, and wash up.
“They are not spoon fed,” said Jeff. “They have to learn to get on with one another in a confined space. Normally, after arriving on Thursday, Monday is the day when something happens to the social chemistry and the arguments break out. So we go to Norwich for a spot of sightseeing and shopping to give them a bit of space.”
On Tuesday the party, who have all been issued with commemorative rugby shirts, will be celebrating with a Carribean day, barbeque, steel band and tug of war at Salhouse Broad. Each crew will have to provide entertainment for the rest of the party, and make model boats and race them. This will be followed on Wednesday morning by dinghy racing.
Jeff, who in the past has started planning the next year’s trip the day they finish the last one, said:
“I am a great believer that children ought to be exposed to an element of risk. By living with other kids for a week they learn a lot about themselves and others, make new friends and have new experiences. It all adds up to a great, unforgettable experience.”
21/10/2004
