Rangers in De-Stress

It's exam season. Some Rangers will not be seen again until after the exams, others will come to get away from it all for a while. I think it depends on what other things they do out of school and they have to prioritise them with the amount of revision they need to do. Some will not do anything but school work solid for a while - I think that one is a shame.  But some still come even if they have an exam at 9 am the next day. 

It's good to blow the cobwebs away and get some fresh air and exercise - it's great for mental well being,  so I decided we would get out for a walk, even if we had to brave the cows as we got going.

This is one of our local churches, couples are queuing up in the summer to get married here.  It is lovely inside and out.

Did I mention how lovely the evening was?!

We are so lucky to live here.

We stopped by some locks to climb over them and to play stick races in the water run off.  Some of the girls bounded over the locks, some were not so sure and clearly hadn't been over them before. 

Having played around canals from a young age, I am always surprised when others don't know how they work or when you can walk over the gates.  I spotted one girl pretending to climb down the ladder for a photo opportunity!  A swift frown and she was off it with a smirk.  It's good for them to let off a bit of steam.


Did I mention what a lovely evening it was?!!!

We stopped off in the church yard of the second church on our route.  There is a proper war grave in here. 

And a really unusual headstone.  The girls read a lot of the stones and we had an extended discussion about the life of a lady that lived from 1888 to 1977.  All the coronations, all the wars, all the technological changes and dress length changes she would have seen.  Some of the girls sat on a memorial bench and chatted as they looked out over the view watching the sun go down.

Sometimes I worry as a leader we aren't doing grand and exciting things,  we aren't trying to change the world or learn important skills.  But a night like this will teach them to appreciate the country we live in, not because I've told them to but because they experience it and absorb the wonder of it.  Memories are made and beliefs are formed watching the sun go down.