WINGSPAN Tuesday, August 4 2009
Issue 4
Shake, Skadilly and Roll
Skadily from left: Lizzie, Josh, Simon, Ben, Peter, John and Mark
BY SOPHIE MADDOCKS PUNCHY, vibrant seven-piece band, Skadilly are excellent ambassadors of their self-coined artistic style ‘skaz’ – that’s ska, jazz and pop all rolled into one. Before they exploded onto the WINGS2009 main stage, WINGSPAN went backstage to quiz them on everything; from their infectious enthusiasm for trilbies and skinny ties; to the origins of the band’s curious name. Upon entering the back-stage tent before the show, I was struck by all seven individual’s confidence, dynamism, and the ease with which they teased each other – clearly nothing’s off limits in this band! Simon, the band’s trombonist, has always been an avid Scout since being introduced to Scouting by his dad at the age of six, alongside bassist Josh, an Explorer with 99th Reading Scouts. Unfortunately Josh and
Simon haven’t been able to convert anymore band members! For a band who formed less than a year ago, Skadilly have played to crowds as big as 3,000. Their biggest achievement to date? Defeating 29 competitors to win Maidenhead’s under-18 Battle of the Bands competition. “Battle of the bands was mega,” said lead singer, Ben. This band seems immune from pre-show jitters or apprehension; and talk with exuberance about previous performances, clearly itching to blast out their unique niche: a fusion of rock pop, jazz and ska, reminiscent of The Rumble Strips or Dexys Midnight Runners. The band have exhibited true showmanship in preparation for the gig; with band members Mark and Olly on holiday they’ve had to draft in singer songwriter Lizzie Massey on lead guitar, and drummer Mark Chevassut. Despite only practising the new line up once, the band ex-
udes a sense of togetherness. The temporary lead guitarist, Lizzie, actually competed against Skidally in battle of the bands, achieving second place as a soloist, nevertheless she stepped in at the last minute: “I said ok and learnt the songs. You know what they say - music unites!” Part of Skidally’s charm is their visual presence on stage, trombonist Simon values the mood they create at gigs: “We have fun on stage and this reflects on the audience”. Onto the most important part of the interview…how did the band devise their name? After making up some imaginative but fictitious stories, they confessed the truth: bassist Josh took the word ‘ska’ and added a list of random letters to the end until it sounded right. Of Skadilly’s three recorded songs, arguably their most popular is Here We Are. It’s currently being recorded together with the tracks Stuck With Stuck With You and Nothing
New, Nothing More - their next move will be to release their top tracks as an EP. Skadilly’s song writing process is mature and organic: any one of the band members forms an underpinning chord sequence and the group build on it, with each member writing their own part. Incorporating improvisation on the brass instruments makes each performance unique. Lead singer Ben is sure the band’s song lyrics are a product of trumpeter John’s rhyming dictionary – but he was quick to deny it! What does the future hold for Skidally? “See where the band takes us,” said trombonist Simon. Despite moving to different schools and colleges in September, the group’s aspiration is to stay together: according to trumpet player Jon: “Uni isn’t the end!” Turning the stale rock format on its head, Skidally effortlessly navigate genres; their confident showmanship is underpinned with real musical proficiency.
Today’s Highlights Page 2 - WINGSPAN explores Windsor
Page 3 - GDV review
Page 4 - Meet the professionals of ScoutMed
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A challenging adventure
Tuesday, August 4 2009 - WINGSPAN
Rock climbing, caving, water slides and giant catapults - all in one zone and waiting for you BY KATE SMITH-CRALLEN THERE are loads of thrilling adventures to be had in this aptly named Adventure Challenge zone which can be found behind the Archemedes Sub Camp. There are five areas of adventure in this zone and you will be given a card at the start to tick off each area you cover. In this zone you can scale new heights, plunge into dark depths, and take on other physical and mental tasks that will test your body and brain. Working with your friends, you can then battle them to reach higher, or further than your friends. You could start with the team challenge and get to know the other people that are here at WINGS 2009. You will be amazed how much you and your team can achieve – including building a bridge that you and your team can walk over – if you are brave enough! Are you up to scaling new heights? Daring yourself to climb a little higher than you think you can. You’ll have loads of opportunities to prove yourself with two climbing walls to ascend. Once you have conquered, those there are heaps of other new challenges to take on. At the Body Challenge area you will find out all about yourself and your body – you will leave this area knowing more than you thought possible. With this knowledge you can triumph in the other challenges you will encounter. If you find the rock climbing a little easy, or you fancy an even bigger
challenge, you could take on The Rock. It’s is a rotating, conveyer belt-style climbing wall that just keeps going – can you keep up with it? If you don’t like the idea of the height of the other walls, you can find your inner rock climbing passion on The Rock and then move on to the peaks of the other walls. The fifth area that you will encounter in the Adventure and Challenge Zone is BASIC, this covers a range of adventurous elements such as a Trebuchet, which is a giant catapult. Also in the BASIC area is a caving experience that promises to be a dark and slightly damp experience, can you find your way through? Back out in the day light you can also challenge your friends in the bungee runs – who will get further? So, the Adventure and Challenge Zone does exactly what it does on the tin – zone co-ordinator Joni says: “It’s going to be amazing”.
Pumping on air Walking in Windsor BY SOPHIE MADDOCKS HOT Air is the ultimate inflatable challenge. Based behind Bell Sub Camp, it boasts seven air pumped pieces of equipment: the rodeo bull, bungee run, bungee trampoline, assault course, mega slide, robot soccer and demolition ball. These all give participants the opportunity to test their skill and nerve on an array of inflatable apparatus. Demolition ball (perhaps the most precarious challenge) is a four way fight; your weapon? A huge inflatable sphere. Your task? To topple all three of your opponents. Alongside this, the bungee trampoline may satisfy those looking for something a little less competitive; and who don’t mind being hurtled into the air at breakneck speed! Robo Soccer, the activity that merges football and robot wars,
enables you to test your skills with a remote control as well as your footballing expertise. Participants with a need for speed can tackle the bungee run; a one-onone inflatable race. Why not ride the rodeo bull, a real life buckaroo, testing your balance, skill and sheer endurance. If this all sounds like too much hard work, hot air also boasts two 35-foot inflatable mega slides; delivering a thrill without too much effort. The final activity on offer is the giant assault course; get set to battle countless inflatable obstacles on your quest to finish first. Not only is this activity open throughout the week to all participants; but staff can enjoy their own Hot Air evening on Tuesday between 7.30pm and 9pm. Hot Air offers participants and staff an exhilarating experience on an array of inflatable structures.
BY EMMA PARKER NEVER been to Windsor before? Want to see the sights? Windsor Exploration is a half day part of the programme that is available for you to enjoy. Windsor Exploration is not just any walking tour of the town, it’s an interactive quiz
that takes you off site and guides you round most of the views that Windsor has to offer. Working in teams of up to six participants, you will be let loose on the quiz from the North Gate on site. You will then be registered as off site, and set off on this active adventure. The quiz offers directions and the questions vary to suit all participants. As well as answering questions and filling in the blanks, there are photos to locate around the town. These vary from the obvious to the obscure. Challenge yourself to complete the whole
thing and enjoy the sights at the same time. Although Windsor Exploration is a half-day activity, the team have added an interesting twist. Answering all of the questions and visiting all of the check points automatically enters you into a WINGS-WIDE competition. The competition is based on the shortest time from start to finish. The checkpoints hold their own fun and exciting challenges and on completion you will gain a stamp from one of the experience team. It is important that while you are in town you continue to wear your WINGS2009 neckerchief and help create a positive image of both Guides and Scouts to the outside world. So take up the opportunity to try something new and meet other participants in the peaceful atmosphere of Windsor. You never know, you might even bump into the towns most famous resident.
Want to see your name in WINGSPAN or dedicate a song on WingsFM? Have you a friend with a birthday this week? Is there a song or shout out you would like to hear on the radio or have printed in the paper? Then please visit the Communications Team Base, where you will find a little form to fill in and we will try and get all your requests on air or in print.
WINGSPAN - Tuesday, August 4 2009
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World of smiles BY SARAH PAGET
WINGS2009 Global Development Village will not fail to entertain and challenge the participants. Monday saw turn of some of Archimedes Sub Camp to enter into the hive of activity that is GDV. As each group arrive they are given a different coloured sticker to guide them to their first zone and keep numbers at a level that all can enjoy. In the Special Needs tent, the activities are all about raising awareness of the needs and difficulties of those with varying disabilities. At one base you can don a pair of headphones and try and complete a game of hangman. “It’s made more difficult because we don’t know sign language” said 1st Oatlands Guide Jemma Heatly, while her friend Lucy Fagan commented that “it feels weird when you take the headphones off, there is so much noise”. Katie Pepper from Rufford Explorers, could be found playing blind cricket. “It’s hard. You need someone to direct you where the ball is and it’s hard to hit the ball. It has to bounce twice so you can hear it”. In another corner of the main area
of GDV a group can be found building a Ugandan Hut. Hopefully these will grow to be a village of six by the end of the week. Logan Sewell of 1st Gorleston Scouts thought it was going to be hard to build, but enjoys DIY. In the recycling tent there are many activities from wooden woggle making to artistic works made from recycled rubbish. “We’re making one world in one field, from anything we can find in the recycling pile” said Lynzi Humphrey, from Manchester Rangers. Meanwhile, Jenne Scott of 82nd Pathfinders explained that the
plastic bag weaving “is like normal weaving except you’re reusing plastic bags.” There are plenty more things to od but only time for one more visit. And the journey takes us to the Bedouin Tent. Here participants can admire some Egyptian costumes as well as making a bracelet and a scarab necklace. “It’s a lot of fun” said Jack Trueman of 1st Gorelston Scouts, “I like crafts, don’t do them often. I think teamwork is the key here, it’s easier with a friend to help”.
Countries and cultures unite at WINGS BY KATE SMITH-CRALLEN AS you wander around the site, there are literally hundreds of people walking round from all over the world. Kate Smith-Crallen went to say hello to some of the international participants who have travelled to the UK for WINGS2009. Notre Dame Panetiere Scouts come from Aire Sur La Lys in Northern France. On their way to WINGS2009, the scouts took a stop at the coast to enjoy the festivities around the 100th anniversary of the first flight across the channel. On Saturday July 25th two pilots recreated the ground breaking and daring flight that Louis Bleriot took 100 years ago. The Notre Dame Panetiere Scouts
were there to see the plane leave from the French coast before heading over to Britain. So far, they’ve enjoyed badge swapping, tasting all sorts of foods during their sub camp day and meeting lots of people. One of the Scouts, Gauthier told me “It’s fantastic; there is a great spirit in camp” Girl Scout Troop 2551 had a 12 hour journey to get to the UK from Spokane in Washington State in the USA. They’re thoroughly enjoying the camp and making loads of new friends. They arrived in the UK a week ago, and have been exploring tourist sights in London like Hampton Court Palace. “Getting around on the trains has been great fun” Madison said.
Krystal said: “I didn’t think it would be this much fun – it’s really cool”. Troop 2551 are all looking forward to more discos and music events on the main stage. Vivian Fowler Group came from Lagos in Nigeria only arrived in the UK on Saturday but love it so far. Twelve Guides from Lagos are in the group that have come to WINGS2009 and they are looking forward to visiting Windsor. After camp finishes they will be spending some time in London. The Guides spoke a little about Guiding in Nigeria and like Guides and Scouts all over the world they love to play games, sing and make bonfires.Christabel said: “We are really enjoying our time here.”
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WINGSPAN - Tuesday, August 4 2009
Ready and willing to help Meet the team of professionals working to keep everyone safe and well BY EMMA PARKER “BIG events statistically throw up more serious problems” Mark Eardley, Norfolk, Scoutmed team explains, but don’t let this worry you. ScoutMed, the onsite medical team is here to look after all of your first aid needs. ScoutMed came to together as a result of a large event held at Camp Downe in Kent nine years ago. Every member has a keen interest in first aid and many of the team have professional medical training alongside advanced first aid. The team is made up of adults from all across the UK and, like so often with teams of volunteers, members are firm friends as well as team mates. “At major events like this it is difficult for unit leaders to offer first aid, as their time is often limited,” continued the
ScoutMed team member. ScoutMed offers thorough medical cover ranging from advanced life support and defibulation to suturing and burn care. They can also liaise with local doctors’ surgeries and pharmacists to offer you the best possible care for any
“At major events like this it is difficult for unit leaders to offer first aid...” problem, big or small. They strive to ensure the care they offer is as swift and efficient as possible in order to get people back out and active again as soon as possible. Just to give you even more confidence in the cheerful and very helpful team’s ability,
Flying high with badge design winners TAKE Off WINGS badges are a sought after accessory and awarded only to participants who completed the pre-WINGS2009 programme challenges. And the design for the badge came from a WINGS2009 participant from Bracknell, Berkshire. Camp organisers launched the design competition in the pre-camp newsletter and the entries flooded in. Cameron Young from 2nd Bracknell Scouts based in De Havilland Sub Camp came up with the design. Cameron’s dad heard about the contest through the pre-event Launch Pad newsletter sent out and encouraged Cameron to take part. Cameron’s design is bright red with the WINGS2009 logo placed centrally with the words Take Off set on the top edge. The badge is awarded in the programme tent. Cameron’s group came to WINGS2009 with 10 youngsters who have all earned the badge. Winning the design left Cameron bewildered: “I couldn’t believe I won! There may have been 6,000 people that could have entered. I’m really excited!” Runner-up Demelza Sluman, from 4th Exeter Scouts currently based in Bell Sub Camp, was thrilled to have got so close to winning with her design. “It came to me in a flash of inspiration!” she said. Demelza’s design consisted of the sub camp’s names written around the edge of the badge with three interlocking cogs in the centre of the circle. She said: “I was just really shocked it got through!”
onsite this week is one doctor, two nurses, an emergency care practitioner, a combat medical technician, paramedics, ambulance technicians, a physiotherapist and many advanced first aiders. All of the team have been or are actively involved in Scouting and offer their expert services at many other large Scout and Guide events. The medical centre has already treated 100 people, with only two being referred offsite for non-emergency treatment. So far all patients have been treated within minutes of their arrivals, and ScoutMed hope to keep it this week. The ScoutMed centre is open between 8am and 10.30pm, so pop in and see them for help or any questions and advice. They’ve seen most things before so don’t worry, just pop along to the centre.
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Daily Round Up What’s On Today
TODAY programme activities continue and the Communication team photographers are out again snapping all the action. Why not head to the shop to see if you or your mates have been snapped by one of them and buy one of the photos in the Information Centre as a souvenir? Alternatively, why not book a photographer to come to take a photograph of your team or troop/unit? Photos cost £3.50 and make a fantastic reminder of all the friends you make at WINGS2009.
Today’s Forecast Light rain showers A patient is checked out by a ScoutMed member
WINGS Say
Temp 23
Tomorrow’s Forecast Light Rain Showers
What did you think of the opening show?
Temp 24
Tonight’s Ents Main Stage Movie night Luke, 13 De Havilland
Anthony, 11 De Havilland
Liberty, 11 Bell
Lauren, 10 Archimedes
Daniel, 11 Bell
““I thought the show was really good. The things I liked most were the flames and the show’s theme.”
“I absolutely loved the music! I thought it was a really fun show – I was surprised by all the dancing”
“I liked the bit where all the countries were cheered at the beginning. I’d give the show 8/10”
“I thought it was really good. I loved the fireworks and the costumes – especially the girl’s dresses.”
“The music was electric! I really liked the beginning where all the countries were cheered”
Parthenon Live band Acropolis Talent Bell Bell’s got Talent De Havilland Air Guitar Morland Spy Night Harington Quiz
Happy Birthday to.... Katherine, 9 Brunel
Katie, 18 Harrington
Tom, 14 Bell
Bethan, 15 Bell
Matt, 15 Harrington
Ed Chalk, 15, Happy Birthday from Matterhorn ESU
“The dancing was funky and the fire was really cool. My favourite lights were the big green circle lights.”
“It was action packed! I liked how the secret agent theme developed during the show”
“The show was completely different to what I expected. It was good overall, especially the lasers”
“There was lots of information in the show; but the best bit was definitely the disco, I’d give it 10/10”
“I preferred the show to a traditional opening ceremony, but I didn’t like having to sit down!”
Susan Nichols, Harington, Happy Birthday from 88th Braehead Mark Deer, Bell, Happy Birthday. We’ve sent the beans in the post from everyone at Atwood Bank Scouts.
WINGSPAN was bought to you by Antony Weller, Sarah Paget, Emma Parker, Sophie Maddocks, Richard Shepherd, Kate Smith-Crallan, Kathi Hamilton, Katherine Broomfield and Matt Robinson. Photography by Becky Smith, Becky Tompkinson, Graham Smith, Claire Holland, James Hage, Dave Brooks, Cheryl Stewart, Ed Jackson and Andrew Hawke.