Summer Memories.

It's Friday, school is frenetic as usual though all the staff are walking round with smiles on their faces as Claire had a baby boy, Henry James, at 3.00 this morning after only 4 hours labour. They don't keep you in hospital for long these days, they wanted to send her home after only 6 hours but she chose to stay for 12 hours. We'd all love to see the baby but obviously we'll wait until she's had a chance to rest.

As it is just another cold wet windy day I thought I'd post these photos, (not taken by me) of the Lithuanian scout camp in Hampshire that the boys have been going to every year since they were 3 years old. The camp has a family section as well as a girls' camp and a boys' camp. When they were little I spent the 10 days there with them helping in the camp kitchen which is an open fronted shed with very basic facilities. Some years there would be only 40 scouts, others -120. Camp is in a sandy pine forest attached to a country club, (with lake and pool) which was originally bought by the Lithuanian emigres as a place where they could escape their fairly grim lives making a living in London and other big cities.

They always build elaborate gateways and other structures. At the start of camp week the forest echoes with the sound of Vladas' chainsaw and there are groups of small boys wielding axes or large knives, (I don't think there is a word for health and safety in Lithuanian!). Looking at the length, or lack of length, of Vytas,( far left), and Romas' ,( middle -green t-shirt), hair, I'd say this camp was 3 or 4 years ago. Linas opted out of camp once he had the choice but the other 2 go as leaders every year.

It's amazing what you can do with some string and an unlimited supply of trees.

Even the youngsters' camp gets involved.

Looking down towards the fishing lake in front of the house.

Just about everything goes on in the open though there is a shower block at the house and a converted outbuilding to use if the weather is really bad, which almost never happens.
The 'house' has 2 bars as well as a hall etc but it is now a country club for the local area but Peter and I have many memories of 'cultural' weekends there which were mostly about drinking and socialising. The above picture is probably a visiting dance group from Lithuania though Peter and I were part of a London based dance group when we were much younger.