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Clyde Fleet Tender 26 June – 03 July 2009

Sunday

It was a dark and stormy night, no it wasn’t... It was Sunday morning and OMG it was early!!!! And, 12 CCF cadets were getting ready to go on holiday – no sorry – a course in Scotland on the Clyde Fleet Tender (I hate it when that happens!) We were asked to meet in school for “BRUNCH” at 0930 – I did tell you it was early didn’t I? Then we were to meet at the minibus in the car park. Mr. Crocker was going to be our chauffer because he had nothing better to do, no sorry – because he is a very nice and generous person.

We arrived at the airport around 1030, checked in, sat down and had time to do some work until the flight at 1235. In my case this was having a flick through the most recent copy of “Private Eye”. After an uneventful flight we arrived at Glasgow to find that we had missed the transport by 10 minutes and would have to wait 2 hrs for the next one, which through careful application of sods law, was involved in an accident and was never going to arrive. Now a little known fact; Starbucks is good for wasting time, and time we did waste until about 1645 when transport finally arrived. We were swiftly, but never breaking the speed limit of course, whisked away to Garelochead Army Camp. After our evening meal we spent the time puzzling over a tyre problem dreamed up by our ever-resourceful Mr. Scorgie, playing touch Rugby, and generally being savaged by midges. When lights out finally was upon us at 2230, I think everyone was quite tired and ready for sleep. However, this didn’t stop them chatting, shouting and screaming the midges into submission (if only!) – Those of you who have never had the delights of the “Midge” have escaped with your limbs intact! They are I think, a uniquely Scottish-determined, nuisance, uncomfortable, not quite as nasty as “the mozzie” but they do leave itchy red blotches all over and you can’t hear them coming. The only Naval vessel we have seen so far was a Trident Submarine and I was certainly looking forward to seeing the CFT for the first time.

Alex Mullen

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