Stone Farm - July 2010
Stone Farm Day One
The sun shone as we left Longwell Green, hopefully a sign of things to come. After a steady journey we arrived in Exeter for our lunch and the sun still shone. At 3pm we arrived at Stone Farm and were greeted by a rather slobbery Diesel wanting his ball to be thrown around the farmyard. We were shown to our rooms where we chose our beds and headed quickly outside for our tour of the farm. The loudest cooing was reserved for the baby white rabbits who took cuteness to a whole new level. Similar gasps were saved for Daisy-Mae the donkey and the many, many guinea pigs in their hutches. Izzy bravely volunteered to be the first to hold one of the chickens and she proved to be very adept at it.
Farm jobs followed and one lucky group got to clean out the cages of all the guinea pigs, I’m sure they’ll be very grateful. The highlight so far for Sonny and Rhys came when they came face to face with the two resident owls as part of their farm job. Free time with the animals followed and the children certainly made the most of becoming acquainted with all the furry residents of Stone Farm.
A hearty feast of fish and chips, sausage, beans and chips or vegeburger and chips followed by ice cream was much appreciated as were the abundant seconds on offer. To help work off our tea, a great hour of football, rounders and meditation (not all at the same time) was enjoyed by all but maybe not Miss May who ended up in the stingers!
Some super singing accompanied our camp fire with George W and Jacob leading the choir, whilst the staff risked the skin on their fingers by toasting marshmallows in the fire.
And so to bed, with a good night’s sleep required to ensure our energy levels are full for tomorrow’s day on Dartmoor. Fingers crossed the rain is not too hard.
Day 2 - 20th July 2010
An early start for all of us as farm jobs needed to be done before breakfast. The steady, grey drizzle wasn't enough to dampen the spirits of the Year 6’s though as they couldn't wait to get outside and take care of the animals.
 Unfortunately one of the baby rabbits had died in the night but the sorrow was lessened by the birth of two new ones. Sam and George played Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole to a sleepy bunny who needed a bit of tlc.
The rainy weather gave us the chance to visit Lydford Gorge, a beautiful setting for our walk. So two hours of fitness training ensued, walking through the drizzle up and down the steep gorge. Some children found it quite a challenge: in the words of Megan, "I'm tired and sweaty and my hair is a mess!". Finally though we reached an impressive waterfall and all managed a smile for the camera. Merely an hour later we were just yards from the coach, and with lunch almost in sight, Jamie put in an Olympic sprint finish. Well done Jamie!
The rain continued – we blame Miss May for this as the two years she’s come on the trip with Longwell Green it’s poured down. Fortunately she’ll be safely in America by the time we return in September! Nevertheless, we fitted in a brief walk to a ‘clapper bridge’ and clapped for good luck and our photos. After a tour of the Dartmoor visitor centre, we returned to Stone Farm for hot showers and dinner.
 
The rain gave us a chance to put Mr Fry’s barn dancing skills to the test, and the children rose admirably to the challenge as they learned to dosey doe and spin their partners in the barn. And so to bed, and thoughts of our trip to the Eden Project tomorrow, safely under the biomes and away from the rain!
Stone Farm Day Three
Woo hoo the sun is shining was the wakeup call this morning. (Not that we’re obsessed with the weather) Farm jobs could resume before a breakfast of sausages, toast and beans. Mr Fry’s group spotted three large carp whilst feeding the ducks and the resident geese Huey and Louis.
As we arrived at the Eden project, the view from the minibus produced cries of amazement as they looked down on the biomes. First call was the Mediterranean Biome where the children enjoyed spotting olive trees, weird and wonderful cactus, lemon trees and Clementine trees. George H was impressed with the tomatoes growing and let us know his tomatoes and sweet corn were not quite as ready to eat. Many children commented on their parents’ interest in gardening and how they might wish to get involved when they return although Evie B said she might not match her dad’s zeal for removing weeds! Two groups were caught up in a rather enthusiastic retelling of The Three Billy Goats but we think they enjoyed it.
After lunch we were sent into the tropical biome to search for plants that would help us survive in the rainforest. Eden was quieter than previous years so we could get an even clearer understanding of how important plants are in supporting life on earth. Our two guides helped us solve the problem of what plants would best help. Nick the guide was impressed that the children matched three out of five Ray Mears essential items to take into the jungle. What do you think they are? Ask the children to see if you’re right. It was a fantastic day and all the children were brilliant and I hoped they enjoyed it as much as the staff.
The Talent Show! Wowzers! Good to see Longwell Green still has talent. Twenty acts took to the stage and offered us a range of entertainment; singers, dancers, comedians, musicians, weathermen and tae kwon do. Guest judge Simon Cowell put aside his usual grumpy demeanour and made us think it wasn’t really him. It was a very close contest with only 2 marks between the top 5. Wait and see who won during Friday’s leavers’ service.
A fab-u-lous week draws towards a close with only goodbyes to the animals to come. Don’t worry we will be checking cases for stray animals. By the way how do you fit a donkey in a suitcase?
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