Libanus

 

Back when I was a spotty Year 8 child (around 13 years old!) I embarked on my very first school residential trip. It was a Creative Writing trip and it was to the Brecon Beacons, staying in a hostel type place in Libanus. I remember being very excited to be staying away from home and getting to have new experiences which I could use as inspiration for my writing.

We had an extensive kit list, as we were going to walk Pen Y Fan as well as a list of other trips and activities. The worst part of that kit was my bright orange puffer jacket which my parents had bought for me. It had cost a fair bit, as I recall and so I was made to wear it for many years after. Unfortunately, being bright orange meant although good enough when you are stuck up on a mountain and can be seen in case of emergency, back in the real world it didn't quite fit with teenage etiquette! (Oh the names I was called!!) 

Kit packed and ready to go, I was waved goodbye by my parents and packed off on the minibus departing from school. My mum had baked some of her famous sausage rolls and cheese scones, so I was determined to use these as a way of making some new friends! They did go down well on the trip there as I recall. I did desperately want to be liked! There were some "cool" Year 11 boys on the trip and I showed an interest in the music they were listening to on their CD walkman. (Yes, I am that old!) This is where I was introduced to the world of Ocean Colour Scene and Radiohead. They were my new favourite things to listen to once I returned home, mostly because for that one week of listening to them, I was "cool" too!

I don't remember too much about where we stayed, apart from the smell of the bunk beds (a little hint of wee??!!) and the huge kitchen. I can picture the garden though. There was a small stream running outside in the garden, and the birds used to sing there beautifully. I remember a particularly sunny morning where I was out there with a few of the group and the sounds of the trickling water and birdsong made me feel like I was somewhere out of this world!!

We had several fun activities too. We went to "Big Pit" going down the mines, visited a Roman Amphitheatre ruin and even had the chance to go caving. I sat out of that one because I couldn't swim and I had heard there was something called "The letterbox" which you had to hold your breath and squeeze yourself through. No thanks! 

The two major trips which stuck with me that week was walking under a waterfall (well, behind!!) which was just stunning and walking Pen Y Fan. When we walked the mountain, it was a warm sunny day. I remember having a packed lunch with us and having lots of breaks to stop to drink. We walked to the summit and I remember being inspired by the Welsh Mountain ponies we saw along the way, as well as sheep!! I wrote a poem about it......I am going to have to search my loft for the book as I am sure I kept a copy! I unfortunately cannot remember the summit or the view (unlike Snowdon which I have been up 3 times and remember the view each time very clearly!!) but I do remember the descent!

It was quite frankly, dangerous! 

We were coming down the side of the mountain and it seemed like there was no pathway, like there had been to go up! There was slate down the slopes of the mountain and we had to walk.....or should I say slide......down. The slate was tumbling from our footsteps, so we often heard shouts of "Look out!" to the people below. I was worried that I would slip and just end up at a heap at the bottom of some ravine. Obviously, that didn't happen but I definitely felt like it could have done!

Just as memorable were the evening activities.

One evening, we had a visit from a man called Barry Simner. Weird how I remember it so clearly! He was a writer for The Bill, which I used to watch with my parents (one I felt grown up being aloud to stay up and watch!) He came to talk to us about writing for television and we watched one of the episodes he wrote.  That was good fun! I found out via some research that he was a screenwriter for some other big shows, such as Midsommer murders! 

Another night, we had to go to bed early so that the teachers could play Canasta......never did find out how to play that, but I know we definitely did not go to sleep because we were too busy laughing at our teachers getting more drunk as the night wore on!

So there we have it. My first creative writing experience and residential! We are returning to Brecon's surrounding area for our family holiday this year, staying within eyesight of Pen Y Fan. I wonder what creative inspiration will come to me on returning! I am sure the writing will be very different than 13 year old me! I will make sure I look for the pieces I wrote back then and compare!!