Trading the bustling streets of London for the picturesque British countryside
17th June 24
A small group of DLD boarders and of course, resident boarding dog Indie, headed out on a camping experience trip on Friday evening. We packed our kit and caught a train to Birchington-on-Sea, on the east coast of England.
The walk from train station to the campsite was an unexpected effort, but once we found our field & dropped our rucksacks, the group were quick learners. They put up their own tents & cooked a lovely feast on the BBQs before taking a stroll to the seafront just before bed.
Daylight (& our groups ‘outdoor’ voices) woke the entire campsite at 4am, but we managed a few more hours of sleep before waking to a lovely sunny morning.
The sunshine lasted long enough for another walk to the beach, combing for pretty shells and rocks and returning to pack our tents down. While the two who were booked into a horse riding lesson at the attached stables enjoyed an indoor jaunt, the rest of the group were left hiding from a sudden downpour! Horsey legs stretched and rucksacks back on our shoulders, we walked back to the train station via the coastal path, stopping at a chip shop for the compulsory seaside fish & chips.
The weather could have been kinder but the girls all did very well and fully embraced the great outdoors and English summer… we hope it will give them the self-belief that they are more than capable of pushing their comfort limits and coping with an alien environment when they come up against future challenges.
Jan Haines, Houseparent (Metropolitan)
