Summer Club 2006 Part 2

I'm in that 'jus gone-to-sleep 'n' jus woken-up-when-i-should-be-asleep' modes...I desperately need sleep but on the Wednesday night of Week 2 of Summer Club know that sleep can be an illusive commodity and that all I have to do if I can't stop thinking (with the West Wing in mind wouldn't it be great to have people paid to think for you?) that all I need do is pick up Nineteen Eight Four and I will, after reading the same line 11 times, fall into a dead sleep with no dreams, which is preferable to the strange ones last week about a man and a shovel and a girl landing on my desk from the ceiling.

So onto... Summer Club Part 2 (Mon-Wed Week 1: Part 1)

Juniors (aged 5-9) in the mornings continue with Poplar Pirates and seniors (aged 10+) in the afternoons and evenings have Urban Escape 2006

The juniors were mudlarks in a great trip to Docklands Museum and finished off the first week with a relaxed open session where they all finished their snakes and frogs (they had already taken away their trees & aquariums) . Monday we sailed to China where they made origami hats and fans, decorated chop sticks and completed a mini-obstacle course, Tuesday they went to Mexico and made and played guitars and played Mexican Bingo and on Wednesday we went to Stratford Discover Centre and took part in an African drumming workshop, made puppets and stories and explored the centre . (See Emma's blog for details)

Urban Escape Hi-lights Part 2 (Mon-Wed Week 1: Hilights in Part 1)

The two new radio shows produced by the young people had their finishing touches added....music decided upon and scripts written. A rehearsal will follow at club some time in August and at the end of August their one hour shows 1-time Boogie and Explosive:The Real Music Hour will be aired live for everyone to tune into...and will be archived for posterity.

Bowling at Surrey Quays went down well and was, as Thomas pointed out (and surprisingly) ...very positive and supportive (when he mentioned competitiveness was he referring to last year with Wayne I wonder?). Thomas perfected the 'lobster method' and was called upon by many to 'lobster' their bowling balls so that they might score. That was the power of the lobster.

We lost some people to holidays but gained others like Kirsty, Conor and Georgie who didn't let a broken foot get in the way of beating Josh at table-tennis 'round the table' and getting to the final with Keeley who after a hard fought battle won.

Boules made a surprising comeback...we had planned to go out to do games/sport and with rain threatening and plenty to do inside we put it off to another time. Conor and Ainslie were close in the 2006 Boules Championship...but Ainslie pipped him to the post...Conor is planning a comeback though.

Everyone enjoyed Wings - the local Chinese All-you-can-eat Buffet and tried to test the 'all-you-can-eat' theory...and some even tried using chopsticks - successfully.

Thomas' great work with the Juniors will be missed as he is gone to Spain... and he is & will be misse in senior club - we enjoyed his company greatly, playing table tennis, cooking, in the drama, producing the radio show, going to the theatre, bowling and at the chinese meal. He is bloging from Spain so check his blog out.

Kevin wowed the young people with his magic skills and taught them all some illusions to try on others whether with paper, ropes or cup and ball, all tried their skills out on each other and then on their friends and family ...we already have an eye on the junior Christmas party...what with Craig as Father Christmas in the Quiet Room Grotto and other young people putting on a magic show its half planned already.

Diane once more led a merry band of cooks, this time Keeley, Josh, Georgie and Kirsty to produce a sumptuous meal for the 15 of us...more chicken, pasta bake, spaghetti bolognese, trifle and chocolate fruit gateau....mmmmmmm.

Everyone met Katie from Trees for Cities and figured out what tree they are 'personality-wise' and planned a date to meet again to talk about how we might improve the local area/environment...and get involved in art projects and tree planting in the future to those ends.

A climbing session at Mile End Climbing Wall had spiderman Conor hanging off rooves and spiderman Josh flying up walls like a rat up a drainpipe.... Old professionals like Keeley, Sarah and Craig showed others how it was done...Ricky knew no fear...Kelly overcame the 'Elvis Leg' to get to the top of a great climb.. Bukhila did brilliantly for her first ever time climbing...and all this was watched, filmed and photographed by Kirsty & Georgie.

A session at Tooting Bec Lido was planned for Wednesday but with weather as it was (changeable) the young people decided they wanted to do something else instead. They were told that they had 5 minutes to decide what they wanted to do. They had £5 per person and travelcards - so after a quick debate (in which they nearly chose to have a club open session - such is the addiction to table-tennis and probably the lure of more magic tricks) they decided on a game of bowling...which Conor, Kelly and Keeley had missed the previous week. Ricky and Josh won this time with Craig coming in a close second (just missing by 2 points) . Kelly had set her goal to be to beat Ainslie, which she succeeded in doing despite Ainslie's attempts to use Thomas' 'lobster' method. And Craig suggested a bowling club at club...must think that through.

As the round-the-table addiction continues...we are considering starting the TA - Table-tennisers Anonymous but the consequences of being mistaken for the Territorial Army have implications which are too far reaching...imagine it - you are sitting in a circle trying to help each other through beating the table-tennis addiction...how long before the person in combats/fatigues and camouflage figures out its the wrong TA and how long before they admit it...and what happens when the helicopters circle over head and a tank turns up in the car park?

Its time to sleep now...tomorrow is one of those 12+ hour days...or other-wise known as 'caffeine days' or aka....Summer Club.