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terry whalen - Devon on Ashburton, 1963
hello. i,m not sure if i was there in 1963 or 64....but what i can remember we were known as the group to avoid we had broken legs, broken collar bones and various other injuries.
Certainly I can remember being picked up in a mini bus at ashburton or newton abbot station and take to school stopping off at a certain bridge and told to admire the view, little did we know that after the potholing we were expected to jump off same bridge to clean the red clayed overalls we were wearing.
One day we were dropped of as a party in Oakhampton (i think) given a grid reference to go to where we would find an envelope with another grid reference for another envelope taking a total of four days to get back to school. We were told not to talk to anyone in or about dartmoor with a big letter P on their shirts, they were at a different kind of "school" on Dartmoor..!!!!! we were also told when camping at night we were forbidden to enter any isolated or deserted cottages as they may be haunted. Being teenages this didnt exactly gel in our minds so we once slept in a cottage. 12 burley teenagers sleeping head to toe but touching each other, at least the haunted part was taken notice of.
My main memory is of the concert on the last night, every group had to perform and I can remember doing an impersonation of the "boss man" I believe his name was Mr. Thorne tho i may be wrong there. I do remember him quoting Tennyson with a line that has lived with me all my life " To strive, to seek, to find, but not to yield"
i can remember a lad from Heckmondike in Yorkshire whom i became pally with, tho we never kept in touch.
No records of ashburton outward bound were ever kept but i would appreciate anyone contacting me with any information
Thank you
Certainly I can remember being picked up in a mini bus at ashburton or newton abbot station and take to school stopping off at a certain bridge and told to admire the view, little did we know that after the potholing we were expected to jump off same bridge to clean the red clayed overalls we were wearing.
One day we were dropped of as a party in Oakhampton (i think) given a grid reference to go to where we would find an envelope with another grid reference for another envelope taking a total of four days to get back to school. We were told not to talk to anyone in or about dartmoor with a big letter P on their shirts, they were at a different kind of "school" on Dartmoor..!!!!! we were also told when camping at night we were forbidden to enter any isolated or deserted cottages as they may be haunted. Being teenages this didnt exactly gel in our minds so we once slept in a cottage. 12 burley teenagers sleeping head to toe but touching each other, at least the haunted part was taken notice of.
My main memory is of the concert on the last night, every group had to perform and I can remember doing an impersonation of the "boss man" I believe his name was Mr. Thorne tho i may be wrong there. I do remember him quoting Tennyson with a line that has lived with me all my life " To strive, to seek, to find, but not to yield"
i can remember a lad from Heckmondike in Yorkshire whom i became pally with, tho we never kept in touch.
No records of ashburton outward bound were ever kept but i would appreciate anyone contacting me with any information
Thank you