As some of you may or not know I am a brownie leader. I have been in girl-guiding for a staggering 15 years! I started off as a Brownie, then progressed to Guides, did my Duke of Edinburgh as a Ranger, became a young leader at the age of 15 and finally got my leadership qualification at the age of 21. The worrying thing is that I can open a brownie pack anywhere in the country. A thought I think sends fear through every parent haha. I got rewarded my 5 years service award last week, the geek in me was so proud haha.
Anyway this weekend we took 6 brownies and 6 guides all aged between 7 and 12 to sleep over on HMS Belfast. I think the 6 leaders were more excited than the girls, I have been looking to it forward for weeks! HMS Belfast is one of the few main attractions in London that I have never been too. I am going to go back because I didn't get enough time to be a nerd. I think the girls were too young to appreciate the history, they got bored easily.
The pictures below were taken on my Iphone so please bear in mind the quality is not that great.
This was my bed for the night. We slept downstairs in the mess decks on bunkbeds. In war time 920 men squeezed in here on hammocks only 21 inches apart. I can't even begin to think about how cramped that must have been nor how hot with all those bodies.
During our hour long mission to find a Macdonalds (with kids crying that they were hungry and their feet were going to fall off) we passed the Golden Hind. We have decided that this is where we are going to have our next sleepover. They serve Tudor food for dinner!
Anyway this weekend we took 6 brownies and 6 guides all aged between 7 and 12 to sleep over on HMS Belfast. I think the 6 leaders were more excited than the girls, I have been looking to it forward for weeks! HMS Belfast is one of the few main attractions in London that I have never been too. I am going to go back because I didn't get enough time to be a nerd. I think the girls were too young to appreciate the history, they got bored easily.
The pictures below were taken on my Iphone so please bear in mind the quality is not that great.
This was my bed for the night. We slept downstairs in the mess decks on bunkbeds. In war time 920 men squeezed in here on hammocks only 21 inches apart. I can't even begin to think about how cramped that must have been nor how hot with all those bodies.
During our hour long mission to find a Macdonalds (with kids crying that they were hungry and their feet were going to fall off) we passed the Golden Hind. We have decided that this is where we are going to have our next sleepover. They serve Tudor food for dinner!
I didn't manage to get any pictures but we ate our lunch on the green next to the Mayor's office opposite the Tower of London and saw the red arrows zoom past. It was the first time I have seen them in the flesh and they were so impressive! They looked amazing. We also got to witness the 21 gun salut!
In all the time I have visited London (which is a lot since I only live 30 minutes away) I have never been on Tower Bridge when it lifts up. So you can imagine my excitment when I heard the sirens going. I think it ws another thing that I enjoyed more than my brownies haha!
The tube journey into London was the most stressful journey of my life. Give me rush hour anyday. I don't have to worry about losing anyone!