21/07/07

So, Day 1, well we all me t up at Manchester Piccadilly and for once I was early (thanks Janet!) The train down to London was on time. £1.40 for a cup of tea though... Is it me? come on! At Euston we had to get down to "the taxi queue" - little did we realise this was the first queue we would have to negotiate. To get to Chelmsford we had to go to Liverpool Street Station and to be honest the Black Cab was the best option across London and it ensured we had time for a fag and something to eat (well BurgerKing). A train then took us out to Chelmsford Station where we found a notice stuck to a phone box telling us a number to call for a bus to site... so we rang it.. and said there were ten of us for pickup... by the time the 'mini'bus arrived there was around 40 people there from around 20 different countries! A sign of things to come - me thinks! Any way the very obliging driver pulls up then has to back up to let a disabled driver out and promptly back into another car - oops. So whilst she did the necessary with the details we quietly loaded the minibus with 17 people and kit - as quietly as 17 excited Scouts can.
Arriving at the the site we were dropped at the 'Build HQ' (this is where you register if you are there to help set up the Jamboree) unfortunately we were there to join the International Service Team(IST) and that registration was a trek away. So we trekked. On finding the the IST tent we joined 'the queue' after 1.5 hours for queueing we had to write our names on a piece of paper to be told to 'camp over there past the big tent, tomorrow we are not needed but we should go for a registration meeting at some point and we need to register again at Gate 5 before 6pm - oh- and we should go for tea before pitching the tent as it shuts soon. So we left our bags in an empty marqee and went to the canteen. To say is is huge is an understatement, the IST canteen is the largest free standing structure in Europe - ever - apparently. Guess what we queued abate only for 5Min's. The menu was burger and chips or fish and ships. I lie the was also salads and new pots and rice and fruit and cake and juice and more and all free!! So refreshed by the meal we all pealed off to our designated 'over there's ' to pitch our tents and agreed to reconvene in the bar around 9:30. Walked what seamed like 2 miles to my pitching area and put up the tent only to have to walk back to the bar at 9:45, queued again to get a pint pot (plastic) and beer tokens to go to the Bar to get a... Boddingtons Bitter and only £2.40 a pint. Cold but it will do, went back for a 2nd pint and they had run out so had to 'force down' a Guiness - 60p more, then no sooner had I bought it the bell went for last orders AT 10:20PM ON A SATURDAY NIGHT. Now I am simple chap - but o call last orders at 10:20 and not even on a Sunday ... well that completely through my Planning. (Note to self; start early tomorrow). So downed pint double quick and back to QUEUE for the last one of the day.
Mike

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I wrote this at around 11pm on the 21st in my tent and up loaded it to here as soon as I could.
I'll uploaded more as soon as I can .
PS
I will not be looking at my email much as Internet access is dear at £3.50/hr here - even via WIFI!!! Please respond if you want to by clicking on the comments button below and type a message or response. Note 'comments' can be public so only leave nice messages cheers Mike