Dounans

Photo: Not only is Isla a great youth worker, she is a DJ too and plays John Denver's "Take me home" to clear the dance floor at the end of the night and gives everyone a lime Twister ice lolly. How kind!

Photo: P7 Campers ready to go home

Just a note of a few other things that have been and gone but worth a mention. Here's the first.

Primary 7 Camp took place straight after the marathon. This was my 5th visit to the Dounans Centre in Aberfoyle, and this time with 146 kids. The camp brings together all the primary 7's (that is kids in their last year of primary school) from the local schools so they get to know each other in preparation for going to secondary school in August. It is a great idea and as some of the schools are in hill billy country and quite isolated, this is really good for them. Every year I have been to Dounans there has been a change of staff, except who Isla started the same year as me. She is by far one of the most gifted youth workers I have worked with and is able to get the most out of the hardest, most horrible or damaged kids. Pity she isn't working for the church! Being a charity it struggles to employ people on long term contracts so people come and go, but I am glad to discover she has a permanent contract now. Anyway, Andrew was there with all his mates so I had a ball seeing them doing all the activities. I had a go of the crate climb, which is stacking up Irn Bru crates as high as you can, and standing on top of them. I only managed 12. As always there was a meal every 3 and half hours. I managed to put back on 3 of the 6 lbs I lost in marathon training with a full English every day and more. The other great thing about Dounans this time of year is the colours. An early morning walk up to the David Marshal Lodge in Aberfolye is well worth it to see the mist rise above the autumn coloured trees. Priceless and worth the trudge up a hill.