May 31st 08 - Things change don't they

Today I took a drive out to Meadowhall with Chris to buy a few things then we headed out to the Peak District to take some photos. While we were in the area we decided to call by an old outdoors centre we used to go to while in Scouts. Today was the first time I'd been there in 15 years at least so it came as quite a shock to see the state it was in.

The photo shows it as it was today. It's called Wilkin Hill if you ever pass that way and is near Low Bradfield in the Peak District. We used to go there almost every winter when we were in Scouts and it was a brilliant place. We have such great memories from spending time there. The Scouts always used to go in winter time so there was a thick layer of snow all around. We'd sledge down the hill just off to the left of the photo on plastic fertilizer bags, go hiking off into the hills and round the nearby reservoirs and have a whale of a time.

When we got there today we found one of the doors open and went inside to find the place wrecked. All the furniture we used to use is still there, in fact the beds we slept on are still in their place. It was so sad to see it like that, I'm just glad I have the memories of the weekends we used to spend there. It's just a shame that other people don't get to enjoy it the same way we used to. Hopefully someone will invest in the place once again and let Scouts and other groups go there and have the sort of fun we had.

I suppose it just goes to show that things move on, people grow up and life changes. I hope the activities they used to run there and the visits from the Scouts weren't put paid to by this silly culture of no win no fee there seems to be. Children are wrapped up in cotton wool when they should be out getting dirty, having fun and taking risks.