APS News 28

abingdon.org.uk/prep 5 AbingdonPrep Out & About Year 8 went to Rockley Watersports in Poole for 5 days. My favourite activities were, Sailing, SUPing, MEGA SUPing, raft building and the final challenge; we also did windsurfing and kayaking, but these were not as much fun. On one occasion I was sent to the power boat for throwing mud at Archie, but it was worth it! Sailing with Philip was a particular highlight for me. In our dorm we chatted for hours in the evenings, and had loads of fun. The food was pretty good with nice packed lunches, however my favourite was the cooked breakfasts. We did a variety of evening activities, including sport on the beach, and crabbing, which was fun. The final challenge began with ‘Push Sally Up’ press-ups, then onto some basic prison escape challenges. We had to carry a massive kayak with a log on top about 200m without dropping it. This was hard, but the last 50m were through knee deep muddy sludge. Then we tied our kayaks to the power boat, and paddled them round to the slipway and then again to the next slipway. Finally we had to again carry our kayak back and forth through a battlefield of sludge, supposedly a beach. This covered some of us up to the chest. These were all races, or time trials, or marked competitions. Our group won the overall competition! Fintan. Year 5 visit HMS Victory Year 8 Rockley Watersports, Poole From the moment we could first see the sea, sounds of excitement could be heard from every part of the coach. Not long after, we saw a large sign saying Rockley Watersports. The coach pulled into the car park of our accommodation, and we were assigned to our dorms. Over the next few days, we did windsurfing, paddle boarding, kayaking and a few other activities. My favourite by far was the sailing, but I also loved the Rockley Challenge, which was a course of endurance and stamina at the end of the week on the morning before we left. One annoying thing was that before the kayaking, I forgot to put suncream on, and I had a painful burn line for the next few days. Toby After visiting the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Year 5S wrote about their impressions of life below deck in Nelson’s Navy. My favourite thing about HMS Victory As we descended into the hold, I instantly saw what HMS Victory must have been like for the wounded. Rusty, bloodstained saws were lying on white clothed tables and a putrid smell would creep up on you and make you throw up. A solitary lamp sat on the floor where Lord Nelson died. As we walked round, I smelt a pungent odour that was such a shock that my eyes started to water but I knew with a pang of realisation that it would smell a lot worse back then. This deck would also be half submerged under water which would make it twice as dank and dark as it is now. Something that horrified me was this: all those poor sailors with serious injuries would have their arms and legs amputated (cut off) without anaesthetic! A leather tube would be put between their teeth, wet with the last man’s saliva and when they cut it off they would scream and thrown up in their own mouths and the constant biting helped with the pain. George M