Camp report
Easter at Steppingstones
Our first camp of 09 was the last of a series of camps that have rebuilt Steppingstones Bridge on the Wilts & Berks
up to feed 18 navvies for two weeks. [I Easter Camps: Wilts & Berks Steppingstone Lane Bridge April 4-18 suppose they re used to the 5 loaves and 2
All photos by Rachael Banyard
fishes routine? Ed] This had to be covered The first week of these two camps was led with a sheet to make it look tidy, and then all appropriately - by Lord Steppingstone the tables and chairs dismantled and stacked himself, Martin Thompson, with myself away, with promises to restore it after they assisting, and the second week we swapped finished (it wasn t). This was one of the over. Martin was given his nickname some perils of having shared accommodation. The time ago, when he took over responsibility church people regularly have an attendance for the project from the local branch of the of 70, and take over the sleeping hall for W & B Trust. We had two main objectives for their main service, the smaller hall for a the camps: to complete the brickwork on the children s service, the dining area for a eastern parapet wall, and to install and fill creche, and the kitchen to serve up their gabions to support the banks on either side refreshments. Di was squashed into a corner of the wing walls leading up to the bridge. behind screens to prepare lunch for our Martin was able, through his contacts at crew: On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, work at RAF Fairford, to get agreement for the village hall is taken over by the Sunshine us to use stone from gabions which were Day Centre for elderly people for lunch and a being demolished at RAF Welford - with the chinwag, for which they need kitchen, dining only cost to ourselves being transporting the hall and smaller sleeping hall, and Di was stone over to Steppingstone. We therefore stood over and harried by an impatient carer. started off on the first day by half the team In addition, on the Wednesday, there was a accompanying Martin to Welford to retrieve funeral wake in the big sleeping hall, with all the stone from the old gabions, while the our belongings having to be stacked away rest worked with myself at the bridge site. and hidden. Di was asked - could we move One of the main tasks to do there being the griddle (where? very tiny kitchen), the bricklaying, it was a bit disappointing to find Burco (full of boiling water), the cutlery tray that the WRG brick kit had not been included (dangerous for small children). Di hoped she in the kit trailer, which had come direct from was dreaming when they had all at last dethe BCN cleanup. Di went to Dauntsey, but parted and a lady arrived asking if this was was only able to find one towel, handbrush and hammer, as most of our local crew have their own personal brick kits. Rob, John and Martin have their own kits, so between us we bad enough to keep going. Meanwhile, back at the Watchfield Village Hall, the church people (Christian Outreach Fellowship) arrived to prepare for their weekly service, and were horrified to see the amount Bricklaying in progress on the parapet wall of food that was stacked
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