There was always something going on all the time. A game, a nature hike, (sometimes the hike was "follow the clues ), a swim, a trip into the Village or Town, a scenic ride, etc. The only times we didn't do anything, was sleeping , and "rest hour". Rest hour was strictly enforced. We had time to buy sweets at the canteen, and were only allowed to spend three pence ( about a nickel) a day. most of us wrote postcards at this time. After rest hour came free time, which was another hour. It was fun to get time to just talk to your friends.
I remember a few things that happened at camp. One morning I woke very early, everything looked so lovely and fresh in morning dew. There were 3 geese hanging around the tents. So I started to chase then out of the field, when we came to a stone style, I tried to get them to go over it. The geese got very frustrated and angry, and turned on me. You should have seen me racing across the field, with the geese snapping and hissing at my heels. My yells woke the whole camp up! Another time a few of us played "hooky" and took a walk into Newcastle- about a mile away. Boy! were we in trouble!
Met Lord and Lady Baden Powell at a scout and guide rally 1926. My Guide Company was McQuiston Memorial Presbyterian Church Castlereach Rd Belfast. Was Ranger with St George's High Street Belfast and Lieutenant with Lambeg Company (11 miles outside Belfast).
One night, after "lights out", a girl in our tent, stood up on her bed, and said very dramatically, "Napoleon's farewell to his Troops" then she waved her hand and said "Bye, bye Fellows"
At another camp, we were having Visitor's Day. The cooks were making a big pot of stew - someone put soap powder in the stew by mistake, instead of flour to thicken it. Everyone was pledged to keep quiet about it, and to say nothing to the visitors, but one girl told her mother. What a panic there was, because some visitors had already eaten some. That broke up the visit, and the visitors went home.
There was only one time that I didn't sleep under canvas. we slept in a hay- loft on the straw. The loft, of course hasn't a wall where the hay is lowered down outside. I was to sleep away at the back, because I was a sleep walker. I didn't want to walk into thin air. The first night we couldn't get to sleep, on account of a puppy crying in the barn. I got up and said "I'm going to fix that puppy", so off I went following the sound in the dark. First of all I found the mother and she was whimpering. I realized that the farmer had a reason for separating them, but I put the puppy in with it's mother, and all was quiet. When I got back to the hay-loft the girls were very concerned. "what did you do to the puppy" they all cried. They were so relieved when I told them.
We were camping one time at the Earl of Kilmorry's Estate, near Kilkeel. The Earl allowed us to use his private pool. It had a nice flagged walk around it, and a lovely border of flowers. All was surrounded by a high hedge. I had my chance at life-saving there. One of the girls was in trouble. She was turning blue when I got her out. I applied artificial respiration, and resuscitation, and she came to. She didn't even have to go home and finished the camp.
At that camp I got to be friends with the Earl's household servants. They invited me to come back and visit them. Not long after the camp, one Sunday I got up early made myself a cheese and onion sandwich, called upstairs to my sleeping parents that I was going for a bicycle ride, and took off for Kilkeel, (about 50 miles away) The family welcomed me and gave me dinner. There was a girl of my age there (17). We climbed one of the Mourne Mountains, picked wild flowers, and went back to the house for "tea". I was sorry I had to say "good-bye” and rode home just in time to satisfy my parents curfew. Later on in the winter, I received an invitation to attend the servants Ball that the Earl gave each year for his household. That was very exciting as the Earl and all his family attended. We had a great time.
