Brentwoodian 2019

103 Recently the Fifth Year ventured out to Portsmouth to visit the HMS Excellent naval base and during our stay we were given a great opportunity to stay overnight on board HMS Bristol; this was a fabulous opportunity to see what life is really like on board a warship. We arrived at about 6.30pm on Thursday 14th March, and, after we had boarded the boat, were immediately introduced to all officers and the staff on board. Whilst we had all been to HMS Excellent before it was still an experience to remember; there were many battleships scattered around, including the brand new HMS Queen Elizabeth II which has only just been brought into commission. After we were familiarised with the layout of the boat we were shown to our accommodation, I agree it wasn’t the prettiest but it still felt homely and with the triple bunk beds it made us feel nice and cosy to sleep. The next day we were up bright and early for a 6.30am call to hands, not what most teenagers want in the morning, but after we were all packed up we headed out to the mess hall for our breakfast. This day was one of the most action-packed days I’ve experienced In a long time. Having finished eating we all hopped onto the minibus, for we were on the way to another local navy base, HMS Collingwood and the Royal Naval Leadership Academy. Having arrived, I, and all of my peers were given a quick lowdown as to the programme. We were told that we would be doing some team building exercises in the morning and on that afternoon we would tackle the obstacle course that the Royal Navy faces; some would say you were ‘being thrown in at the deep end’ (pardon the Navy pun) but, with the help of Warrant Officer Cox and all of the team, we were able to work our way through the tasks. I and my peers showed outstanding leadership skills and we all should be very proud of one another for helping each other to complete the course. As a group, each cadet was able to complete tasks such as climbing walls and tackling obstacles with a special mention to Jake Boswell for his acrobatic fall into the foul waters while attempting the rope swing over water. We will never let that go Jake! March Field Day During October half-term, a group of Navy cadets were lucky enough to attend the annual Scuba Diving trip to Fujairah, bordering the Persian Gulf in the United Arab Emirates. The trip lasted eight days and it was organised by Mr McCann and Mrs Bentley. Each day involved different activities based on how advanced our diving was. Within the cadets, there were some advanced divers, who were even completing their 50th dive, and then there were some who had never completed an open dive before! These activities mostly consisted of participating in at least two open water dives each day, as well as free time to spend at the pool or beach. By the end of the trip, everyone had successfully achieved their open water or advanced open water qualification, and our instructors celebrated by throwing us a party. The trip also involved conservation work, when one day we were involved in collecting litter from the reef. We took nets down with us, in order to collect rubbish that had been caught. We were all really surprised at how much rubbish we actually collected; when we arrived close to the shore, there was a lot more than expected. However, it didn’t affect our breathtaking dives! Fujairah Dive Trip In my opinion I feel that this trip has taught me the true meaning of what life is like in the Royal Navy, and if there is one thing I am to remember from this trip, it is a quote from Warrant Officer Cox: “Out of all the services, the Royal Navy is the only service who leaves as a team and comes back as a team, so therefore the navy is the only service with a true understanding as to what it means to be a family” By Benjamin Hogarth We saw loads of marine life, but the highlights were definitely the turtles, lionfish, eels, puffer fish, and even a shark!!! It was also important to watch out for the sea urchins and jellyfish (although Jai and Ellie clearly weren’t watching out enough!) When we were spending time on the beach, Cassie must have been worn out from all the diving, and fell asleep. Mr McCann saw straight away, and tipped her off the sun bed! Mr McCann was also clearly enjoying his holiday when he found a crab and put it on Lauren Burgin’s shoulder; the scream deafened the whole beach! In retaliation he got a fish to the face! The screams were also deafening when we came up from diving in the middle of a storm! The boat was hurtling over the waves and lightning and thunder were crashing everywhere. When we got back to the hotel we even had to paddle through a flood of water! We had an amazing time and we will never forget such an incredible experience. It was a brilliant place to dive and there was so much to see, it made for an unforgettable holiday! By Cassie Peacock