Year 5 had a fantastic time making memories of a lifetime this week at our Alton Castle retreat!
On Monday afternoon, we waved the parents and carers off and went on our way. There was a mix of anticipation and nerves as we departed which all changed to excitement as we neared our destination.
Upon arrival we were warmly greeted by the Alton team and sent off to our rooms to unpack and set about making our own beds which was a sight to behold in many cases! We spent some time getting used to our new surroundings in the beautiful castle and met for our first meal together with our co-residents, The Abbey School from Birmingham.
Our first activity of the evening was to conquer the Night-Line challenge by supporting and guiding each other through the darkness as we followed a rope-trail through the woods and over rocks and tree trunks. The children did incredibly well and worked hard to help each other making sure no-one was left behind and that everyone returned to the starting point safely.
We ended the day with evening prayer and reflected on the theme of our retreat ‘Come Close, Listen to the Story’ as we listened to the story ‘You Are Special’ read to us by one of the Alton staff, Elisha.
Before bed, we were treated to a cup of hot chocolate and we settled down for the night; ready for Day 2.
We woke bright and early (some of us earlier than others!) and headed down for breakfast. We were split into two groups, Scahill and De Verdun and we ventured off for an action-packed morning of mountain biking and survival skills.
The cycling route took us along an old railway track with beautiful scenery along the way. We found some parts fun and some parts challenging but it was all good fun. We stopped mid-way for a time of reflection and meditation in our surroundings as we ‘Came Close and Listened to the Story.’
Survival Skills was all about learning new techniques. We learned how to survive a night in the great outdoors – lighting fires, tying knots and building dens. It was a great opportunity for team-work and for trying out new things.
After a quick lunch we were sent off for the afternoon; De Verdun to the low ropes and Scahill on an 5k trek through the fields to the summit; a local cave.
After our busy afternoon of adventures we had time for a visit to the Tuck Shop, a tasty dinner and then we were off to Mass and Celebration of the Word – Prayer and Scripture with Father Chris. The Church of St John the Baptist at Alton is a beautiful historic building designed by architect Augustus Pugin. We took time to take-in the beauty of the ornate statues and decor and spent time listening to prayer and scripture and reflecting on the season of Lent. Special thanks to Aurora, Rafferty, Jonah and Sadie for reading at the mass and to Finn for doing the offertory.
The remainder of the evening was spent at a social gathering with the our co-residents from The Abbey. The Alton team hosted games, singing and dancing and the children had great fun showing off their dance moves!
After tiring themselves out with so much dancing it was time for evening prayer and reflection and an early(ish) night. Everyone was exhausted and headed off to bed to re-charge their batteries for the final day of our retreat.
We woke early to pack and get ready for home, filled up on breakfast and headed out for our final activity session. De Verdun were off on a trek and it was Scahill’s turn for the low-ropes. There was a lot of fun had and we couldn’t have asked for better weather to enjoy our final day!
We waved goodbye to the Alton staff and set off for home, happy and exhausted but full of joy and memories of the fun we had together. A minor blip on the journey home caused quite a delay so we thank you for patience and understanding as we know it was a longer than anticipated arrival time. The children were in great spirits despite the gridlock!
We had a wonderful time and arrived home safely albeit a lot later than expected.
A huge thank you to Mr Cooke, Mrs McCloskey and Miss Greenway for all of their help, support, guidance and organisational skills – and for being there for Year 5’s (and Mrs Kirrane’s!) first residential trip.
Thank you also to the staff at Alton Castle for hosting us and to Father Chris for sharing the Celebration of the Word – Prayer and Scripture with us.
The children were so well behaved throughout the retreat and their friendships really shone through. They were incredibly supportive of each other when they faced personal or physical challenges which was so lovely to see and truly epitomized the All Souls ethos. Each and every child represented All Soul’s to the highest standard and their behavior was exceptional, making us all incredibly proud of them.
Year 5 – you did it!
You are amazing!
Next stop Dol-y-Moch!
