For the first time in two years, St Bart’s CCF was able to fulfil all its planned activities in the first half of this term.
On the last weekend in September, 23 cadets from Years 10 and 11 with supporting staff experienced the delights of Dartmoor. Camping at Runnage Farm near Postbridge, all four groups undertook walks on the southern moor on the Saturday. Although immersed in fog at the outset, it lifted sufficiently for cadets to appreciate the grandeur of this remarkable landscape. The Sunday saw all groups transported to Princetown to commence their respective walks along different routes to Postbridge, finishing in good time to enable a return to Newbury at a reasonable hour.
The following weekend, 45 cadets completed Weapon Handling Test training and testing at school, all passed.
On 8 October, almost 70 cadets from Year 10 supported by both sixth form students and staff undertook their first Field Day at Bramley Training Area. With an emphasis on fieldcraft, including observation and cooking in the field, a highly successful day was enjoyed by all. A week later, 33 cadets from Years 11, 12 and 13 completed a 24-hour exercise, again at Bramley. For many, we were able to build on previous experience from last June to ensure that some fieldcraft skills were honed while new ones were developed.
We now look forward to further development in the field in March 2022 – Bramley is already booked!
