Guildford Cathedral, a place of tranquility and quiet reflection, did not remain tranquil for long on the evening of our departure for Westbrook.
So what happened…………………..
Thankfully the ‘inter’ section were quickly bustled away in minibuses bound for the Isle of Wight and a weekend of extreme fun.
When we at last reached our destination there was an air of excitement, and, after enjoying a fabulous dinner courtesy of the Westbrook chefs, everyone was keen to explore this huge 100-bed house. We began our spiritual series that night, which focused on key things we need to grow in our relationship with God. Over the four spiritual slots we heard of the disciplines we need in order to walk with God, and were blessed with the opportunity to spend time listening to him, worshiping him, and hearing his word.
The weekend’s activities then ensued in unrivaled intensity. On Saturday, the tactical intricacy of ‘head hunters’ (laser tag in the woods doesn’t quite do it justice) was followed by a session at the golf driving range, in which new golfing techniques were dreamed up that could well be described as desecration of the sport! The time had then come for the infamous ‘numbers game’. 30 blocks of wood, each numbered, were exchanged in a frenzy. Lads with low numbers sought to hide, and those with high numbers sought to switch their block for a lower one, to avoid the forfeits associated with a high number. At the end of this process, the time came to distribute the prize or penalty associated with each numbered block, and, to his great dismay, the losing lad discovered that ‘10!’, was not in fact the number 10 shouted, but 10 factorial. A cold bath, fully clothed, seemed a fitting reprisal for the mistake. This intensity was maintained by the rest of the weekend’s activities, which comprised a steamy swim, a riotous pillow fight, and a full-on morning of football, low ropes and more. By the time we arrived back at the hall our departure from the Cathedral felt eons ago, and I too was ready to collapse…
