Title Photo: Running Aground, The River Chelmer, Sponsored Kayak, November 2008
Last Wednesday saw the prestigious Chief Scout Awards presentation evening for Greater London North East and somehow, by an administrative error we presume, some of our motley crew got an invite. Donning their best woggles Hanson and Morton made it onto the stage to collect their Diamond Awards followed by Izzy to pick up her Platinum. Nice work gang! Congratulations must also go to absent awardees Jarvis (Diamond), Calum and Jo (Platinum) and the 7th Hornchurch posse, who recently joined our ranks, for completing their Chief Scout’s Gold Awards. This is the first time Centurion has been represented at this evening so well done guys and keep it up!

Nov 2009
 
Our goodies have now arrived from Tesco’s ‘Computers for Schools’ scheme, only they seemed to have made a schoolboy error and instead of sending us a shiny new PC or a slightly gnawed mouse mat we’ve ended up with 12 new hockey sticks ,1 cricket bat, some wooden spoons (in readiness for our next Quiz Night), a mixing bowl , a Vortex howler and a first aid kit big enough to meet even the needs of Keith. As we unwrapped it all it felt as though our credit crunch Christmas had come early! A big thank you to everyone that helped collect the vouchers and turn our sport / cooking fusion dream into reality.

Nov 2009
 
Congratulations to our very own Mick who married the lovely Natalie on Friday 25th September at Cooling Castle Barn in Rochester. Mr and Mrs D are now off on a month long African safari which we hope will result in a wildebeest or two for us to roast on our next camp.

Everyone at Centurion would like to wish the newlyweds a hoot of a honeymoon and a long and happy marriage. The Hog gives you his blessing.

Sep 2009
 

Sep 2009

 

It all began last August following a small article in Scouting Magazine and a trip to see a Yew tree in a churchyard in Oxfordshire. Since then no Scout campsite has been left unexamined in the pursuit of big old trees, all in aid of the Woodland Trust’s Ancient-Tree-Hunt! The concept is simple; find a big old tree, measure it (hugs will do!), take a picture of it and note down where it is, then enter it on-line into their national database. So far Centurion ESU have racked up an none too shabby 109 trees, including a Sweet Chestnut at Thriftwood, a Black Pine at Phasels Wood and a horde of Beech’s at Broadstone Warren.

To see our impressive arboretum of trees, log on to www.ancient-tree-hunt.org.uk go to the Discoveries page, then choose Tree Search and look for Centurion ESU in the organisations list near the bottom of the page.

In the mean time, get out there and start collecting more old trees!

Aug 2009
 
This summer Centurion ESU took to the hills of the Lake District looking for adventure and unsurpassable views! Staying at the huge Great Tower campsite near Lake Windermere, the team set out daily at the crack of dawn to reach some of the best summits in the Lakes! With his new Mountaineering permit, Sugs lead hikes to Helvellyn via the famous ridges of Swirrel and Striding Edge in glorious sunshine, took in a visit of the Priest’s Hole cave in Dove Crag and battled through the driving hail to reach the 5 ripples of Crinkle Crags. Elsewhere the waterfalls of Dungeon Ghyll, precipices of Helm crag, caves of Loughrigg Fell and peaks of Nardons provided plenty of entertainment. To top the camp off with a bit of excitement, we headed to the local (well, as local as anything is in the Lakes) A&E department with a delightfully bloody hand belonging to Keith. After some serious highly skilled finger stroking it became clear that

a specialist was required and so at 11pm, in driving rain and wind, (the only weather befitting such a dramatic situation), the whole camp was packed up (in rapid quick time – hats off to the explorers for that one) and we headed for home. In all the mayhem we nearly forgot the fact that it was also the end of an era for two of our senior members…but that's a tale for another news story!

Aug 2009
 

At Centurion we have a dream, a dream that one day, just one of our teams might manage to finish the undeniably cruel and apparently insurmountable hiking challenge that is Operation Dragnet. This year we thought we had it in the bag. First up we had our crack team of wizened hikers and Dragnet vets, namely Morton, Andrew, Izzy and Freddy, putting hayfever and copious quantities of toilet roll aside, surely these were champs in the making? Then of course we had our wildcard team, the underdogs if you will or perhaps the hustlers! They were made up of Richard “Many knees” Morris, Looney Jon, Dragnet first timer Bill and, making her first hardcore hiking debut, Rachel.

So anyway, what of this dream? Well it was left disappointingly unfulfilled of course! A super long

route had been set this year as payback for the hordes that crossed the finish line in 2008 (not guilty) and though the weather was kind, the catchers were not. By Saturday evening, both teams had surrendered all their lives to those fleet-a-foot huntsmen of the fells and had somehow managed to merge into a much more easily detectable supergroup somewhere along the way. But credit where credit’s due, they did not roll over and call for a minibus pickup, they vowed to trudge their way to the finish under their own steam. A noble notion indeed and one that lasted until early Sunday morning when, in the cold light of day, the thought of arriving back late to find that Pinto had started whipping down the M6 2 hours earlier was too much to bear and the call was made…sad times, sad times.

After a 3rd place finish last year by a team of the same name, if not entirely the same people, Hornchurch Network were looking for that podium position. With cunning stealth and some round the houses route planning they managed to cling onto all three lives until 10pm on Saturday when an ill timed pub driven road walk resulted in one of the least worthy chases Dragnet has ever seen! They marched through the night (with a couple of hours sleep, disturbed by yet more catchers!) but on Sunday morning with 12 miles still to cover and cramp, fatigue and trenchfoot setting in, they too called it a day.

Next year folks, next year…

Jul 2009
 
Rucksacks were not the only thing resting on the shoulders of Centurion ESU at this year’s Hiking Marathon – expectations of retaining the converted cheeseboard were high too! Three teams picked up the baton for hiking glory (although some may not have been gunning for gold quite as much as others!). Seasoned romper Morton headed an all star line-up with Calum, Andrew and Chris whilst the girl’s team of Carrie, Tish, Rach and Amy (marking her hiking debut) made it a battle of the sexes. This left the runts of the Centurion litter; Loony, Rob and John to earn their stripes, or wander around a bit at least.

24 hours later and after more clue bagging than Miss Marple on a weekend break to some traditionally twee seaside resort, we all gathered round and awaited the results. It gives us great pleasure to announce that Centurion were crowned as District Marathon Winners 2009* with Mike’s team taking the premier position. Also joining them on the podium, snapping at their heels in 2nd place were the girly whirlies, whilst somewhere a little further down the honours list was Looney and chums. Top draw gang!

*This accolade was quickly withdrawn when it was discovered than the unit whose existence is debatable Scullions ESU had not had their points added correctly and were in fact the winners of the event. Still, at least we got to shake hands with Colonel Alan Hall!

Jun 2009

 

After months of careful planning and anticipation, the long awaited first ever Hornchurch District explorer camp arrived; and Lees Wood was the site honoured with its presence. Bog Standard Camp drew explorers together from Gladiators and Centurion, as well as explorer wannabes from 7th Hornchurch and 1st Souths.The concept of BSC was to run all the fun ourselves with no pre-booked activities; so when we wanted a rope maze – we made one (courtesy of some helpful tips from our Russian counterparts). Nowhere was explorer and leader bonding more prominent than at Saturday night’s campfire, expertly kicked off by Pinto who lured in crowds of guides and cubs until every inch was crammed to the max.

Special thanks to all the guys who took part and had a great time, and hats of to Wendy for bringing herself along and lasting the distance!

May 2009
 
Mrs Suggate’s International Boarding House once again opened its doors in April to welcome 6 of our Russian comrades to London, where the streets are paved with gold, or Hornchurch at least where the streets are paved with chewing gum. With their stay only three days long, time was as precious as the motherland’s gas and the programme as packed as the London underground (which, during the Easter holidays, was spine curvingly crammed).

The scintillating sights of the Science museum, the hustle and bustle of Leicester Square and some bloke wearing a pair of gold pants atop a giant unicycle in Covent Garden, all provided an introduction to our capital. Follow that up with a whistle-stop tour of sights such as the Tower, St Pauls, Westminster, Trafalgar Square, Buck House and some lovely grassy places, and the digital cameras were fit to burst. Naturally, no-one wanted to miss having a go on a huge Ferris wheel and for some, the chance to get up close and personal with a waxy Brittany Spears in Madame Tussauds was worth paying good money for, as was toffee from Thornton’s in Oxford Street.

Naturally, no visit to our little island would be complete without experiencing some truly British cuisine. A trip down Brick Lane for an introduction into the world of bum burningly good curries was a must, as was a cream tea lesson complete with the cream / jam first debate. Before saying our goodbyes, there was just time to introduce them to one more noble pastime – greyhound racing. A night out at Romford Dog Track was just the ticket and if you’re looking for a lucky charm, I’d heartily recommend a Russian citizen.
 
My goodness, the swimming accolades just keep on coming! Following Centurion’s success at the District Swimming Gala, it was time to take on the cream of the crop at the County event. Once again Voov and Richard stepped up to the diving board and, under the watchful eyes of the Hog, both did us proud. Voov finished in 2nd place in his backstroke heat, being pipped to the post by just half a stroke. Sadly, the excitement of getting through to the final was all too much and a bout of illness overcame our fish like friend meaning he was unable to go for gold in the final. Meanwhile Richard had also made it through his heat and had reached the final for perhaps the most ridiculously difficult stroke ever dreamed up – the butterfly. And we’re pleased to report that he didn’t disappoint, romping home in an impressive third place and picking up a shiny bronze medal to boot! But the fun didn’t stop there, oh no, explorers from units across Hornchurch pulled together to win the relay and the district as a whole were named the overall Gala winners. Top work all round!

Mar 2009
 
Monday 16th March 2009 was a very special day for explorer scouting in Hornchurch, for it marked the first district wide gathering in a very long time And why did they gather? To try and demolish each other of course!

Total Demolition was a two week catapult based bonanza starting on the 9th March, when teams of explorers received a selection of materials and some top tips for building their weapons. Looking to unleash fury on the other explorer units, they were then left to build the ultimate machine. Wood was cut, nails were knocked, bungees were tightened and brains were very nearly engaged.

One week later and it was time to wreak havoc! Over 40 explorers from Gladiator, Dragon and Centurion Explorer Scout Units massed at Thriftwood, proudly putting the finishing touches to their contraptions. Our chaps managed to muster three teams with mean machines, not forgetting our second line of defence consisting of half a catapult in an explorer’s bedroom in Rush Green. 30 minutes of water bomb based fury ensued and at the end of it all it was clear that it was the day of the dinky machine! Yes, despite jeers about the compact nature of their creations, their mobility and, it’s fair to say cowardly lion tactics, meant that Dragon ESU emerged victorious finishing in 1st and 2nd place. Well done guys! But it wasn’t all doom and gloom for our 22 strong contingent. The medieval, torch topped creation of Jarvis, Hanson, Voov and co. won the award for best design, closely followed by the Hog clad creation of Andrew, Mike, Calum and associates, whilst the lovingly hand painted machine of Looney and his team also looked lovely.

Thanks to Pete for thinking up the event and organising it all along with his glamorous, burger flipping assistant Adam. Cheers chaps!

Mar 2009

 
As the competitors dived into the water for the last event of this year’s District Swimming Gala, the one-length freestyle, the crowd held their breath with anticipation. The night had begun with Voov who got things underway with an excellent display in the breaststroke, turning out a stylish performance and finishing a length clear of the competition from Skullions ESU (last years winners). We were kept guessing right up to the line on the night’s second event, the backstroke, but Rich’s persistent twitch got the better of him and he finished second place by a fingernail to the same Skullion. This meant it was all down to the final race to see who would be crowned Explorer Scout Trophy winners. Up to the platform stepped Jane (after some frantic diplomatic wranglings to get her in the country and allow her to participate in the event). And so they were off, but with Jane more than a length down after they surfaced for air we looked as though we were beat for yet another year. However, as luck would have it,
Jane’s unusual leg to body length ratio worked a treat, pulling her level with just 10 strokes left and giving her enough kick to cross the line in first place! We should have known - Morton’s never lose! A proud moment for the Centurion trio who left Mike to take the acclaim and pick up the trophy…bouquets all round!

But it wasn’t just the Explorers who took to the pool. In true style, Trim Al stylishly bombed from the top board to compete in the leader’s race. But despite his super svelte like figure it seems as though he’s possibly not so trim after all finishing third and plunging the previously unmarred Winston name into disrepute. He didn’t get a trophy.

Mar 2009
 
After 2 years in the making, 22 members of Centurion ESU embarked on an epic adventure to the snowy tundra of the Russian wilderness. Losevo, 80 kilometres north of St. Petersburg, was our rural destination and a warm reception awaited our arrival with plenty of (our soon to be favourite) star biscuits and a warm tea – just the ticket when outside lay a foot of snow and the temperature was a nippy minus 10oC. Our host Vladimir introduced himself to us through his daughter and busy camp translator Maria, then it was off to our extremely well appointed cabins before the real fun began!

Five fun-packed days followed, with skiing expeditions, cheese-cake sledging, snow-mobiling, and Russian saunaing being some of the daily highlights. Team challenge day saw us compete in all sorts of activities from an assault course and low rope obstacles to the really tricky rope maze and games in the woods all overseen by Alexey, Artem, Pavel and Sergey.

If we weren’t outside, then you could be sure we were on a coffee break, brushing up on some Russian history, or failing that, at dinner! The food was traditional and delightful and all prepared on just 4 gas rings, chef hats off to Irina and Ulia. The evening entertainment of Russian dancing with Radana and Masha and lots of typical party games drew the nights to an end in splendid style! Not wanting to be out-done, we tried to do Britain proud on English Night and, whilst the bubble and squeak wasn’t an outright winner, some campfire sketches, classic party games (where is that donkey?) and funky disco dancing won the day!

It soon became time to say our farewells and leave camp, giving us only one day to tour the sights of Peter before heading home to Blighty, less a passport, but with a full compliment of luggage. But the farewells didn’t stop there. It was also time for the Unit to say goodbye to a true stalwart of Centurion – JJJJJOOOOOOOOO! Our most able Russian speaker in the unit had had an eventful trip but after about 90 years with us it was time for her to move on. All the best Jo!

A huge thanks must go to our very hard working Russian hosts and of course Tim Axe of Network Russia for arranging our trip and, more importantly, for bringing along his granddaughter! Thanks Tim!

Mar 2009

 
As the bitterly cold January set in, most of us were huddling inside by the fire to keep our tootsies warm. But as we got all snugly, a group of 3 Centurionites decided to give their tootsies a damn good work out and undertake their Chief Scout’s Platinum Award expedition in the Chiltern Hills. Here’s how they got on…

“After many months of thinking, and very few weeks of planning, we were finally ready. Yes, it was cold. Yes, it was misty. Yes, it was the middle of January. But we were prepared (just about) and were ready for a good weekend of walking.

We began in Stoke Row (apparently a famous little village often passed on the Southern 50) and set off into the mist. It seemed our route planning paid off, as I only remember getting 'lost' once and we quickly found ourselves again.

After many hours of searching for amusingly named woods, and also the more important ancient trees, we arrived at our home for the night – Goring Heath Scout Hut. And what a pleasant home it was too, with some gas heaters (no gas), an oven (didn't work) and toilets (frozen). But we were not going to complain, for we had a fire! And the fact that they let us stay for half price was nice too!

It was soon time for walking again, and after some lovely toast we were off, continuing our epic search. But alas, it appears that there are no ancient trees in any of the amusingly named woods that we searched (Cucumber Wood, Bassett Wood, Bear Wood, Little Bottom Wood and many more).

An enjoyable hike never the less.” – Calum Finch

By organising and completing this hike Calum, Izzy and Jo, who have also kept chickens, swam, biked, crewed, played instruments and much more besides, have all earned their Chief Scout Platinum Awards – well done guys!

Jan 2009

 

Saturday 17th January saw our last fundraising event before heading off to Russia in just a few weeks! We decided to finish as we had begun and thus it was once again time for our explorers, parents, supporters and all manner of waifs and strays to don their thinking caps and quiver in the presence of a mighty Quiz Night.

We were playing to a packed house with well over 100 people turning out and tackling rounds on the week’s big news stories, numbers, geography, art, music and more, rounding the night off with the infamous Russian Roulette.

As the night unfolded and the hut took on an ominous, brain powered glow, an early lead was taken and held (for all but one round) by The Looney’s who looked to be an unstoppable force. But with only Russian Roulette remaining and a potential 12 points up for grabs this talented team were still within sight of high ranking competitors such as The 1st South’s Posse and, our previous wooden spoon wonders, The Adams Family. it was all to play for, but which team would prove their metal and have the guts to go for glory?!

Well, it was time for the 1st South’s Posse to shine, flexing their quizzical muscle and learning those Looney’s good by gaining full marks in the final round – a feat not matched by any other team! Congratulations go to them and commiserations to The Looney’s for being so tantalisingly close and also to our last place lovelies Incognito for being perhaps a little less close. The final scoreboard can be seen below.

A huge thank you to everyone that came along and apologies for the sardine-like conditions! Special thanks must also go to those that spread the word and drummed up so much support – it was great to see so many new faces! Ticket sales and a top notch raffle brought in an amazing grand total of £686.00 – the highest amount raised at a single event yet! Add this to all of our other fundraising efforts and we’ve managed to raise a mahoosive £3902.48!

Jan 2009

Position
Team
Points
1st
The 1st South’s Posse
79½
2nd
The Looney’s
74½
3rd
Mick, Tilly and Chums
67
4th
The Adams Family
66
4th
Auntie Alan
66
6th
No Worries
64½
7th
Mortonovsky’s and Chums
63½
8th
Double Dutch
63
9th
That’ll Do
62½
10th
Calfbaypinbrowno’s
62
11th
The Winston Clan
58
11th
The Gypsynators
58
13th
Incognito
55½
   
© Centurion Explorer Scout Unit 2007, Registered Charity No. 303669