Well it’s officially over, I took my Jamboree neckerchief off for the last time last night and it’s now sitting next to me on my desk. I read the section in the IST handbook whilst there on the Post Jamboree Blues and thought that I would probably be OK, but I am starting to feel a little disappointed that it’s all over now.

The people I spent the sixteen days working with in that cramped set of little white tents held together with ratchet straps where we shifted 10′s of thousands of little blue tokens, sold stamps, sorted post, helped people with mobile phones, phone cards and Internet time, and sorted some really smelly lost property came from all over and turned out to be the best guys and girls I’ve had the pleasure to work with.

I’m going to miss you all, well at least until the reunion.

The majority of the service team departed today myself included. The only people left on the site are the delivery team and the build team who now get to dismantle what has been our home for the last 16 days.

There were a few tearful goodbyes and a promise of a reunion when Katies baby is christened in the winter and then we went our separate ways.

Well it’s almost over, in two days time the closing ceremony wil be held at the arena and the world scout flag will be lowered and sent on it’s way to sweden.

Even though my job allows me time to get plenty of sleep, im starting to feel a little drained now. Thankfully it’s my day off tommorow and I intend to head to Chelmsford so I can see the Simpsons movie and get away from the hustle and bustle just briefly enough to ground myself.

Mat, Becky, and Beth came out to visit yesterday unfortuantly I was working in the afternoon so our time was short.

The Swedish contingent have bribed me with a few goodies so I may well be off to Sweden in 2011.

Today was the official birthday of Scouting, So the Jamboree was closed to day visitors.

The sunrise ceremony was much better than the opening and I may have been slightly emotional.

We were handed yellow neckers to get our new Jamboree friends to sign, the challenge was to get 100 people but by taking ours to work most of us in facilities have filled ours.

Steph, Pete, and Katie came to visit the Jamboree today. As I was on the late I met up with them and had a spot of afternoon tea at the Austrian kaffehaus. Before I had to head back to work we took a turn round the one world garden with it’s underground water feature.

The view from my tent reveals blue sky. Yipee no rain.

The opening ceremony yesterday left me staggered I didn’t cry as some did but over the afternoon the scale of what we are involved in began to sink in.
It rained last night so the mud was bad again this morning, our little beach on the island hub was completly flooded out.
The facilites tent was as always a muddy mess and some new wood chips where put down behind the desks. One of our e-pay machines also broke after filling with rainwater so a few people couldnt get mobile top ups. However the sun is shining and all is good except that it’s laundry drop off day and we are about to be overrun.
ttfn.

The rest of the world arrived today and tonight there are 40000 people under canvas in Hylands Park. Tonight was as always a party in the adult subcamp and we were busy all night in the facilites tent. After finishing at 10.30 we headed to the hub to join the fun.

UK Contigent Arrive!

Today the Explorer scouts and unit leaders from the UK arrived, so it rained and then it rained some more. The view is from the facilities tent where I work looking across the island hub during some of the really heavy rain. In the morning the rest of the world starts to arrive here in Hylands Park.

Arrival and checkin was quite unstresful, I was greeted by a mad Scot complete with kilt and am a proud owner of an IST necker which is lurid to say the least.
I foolishly vollentered to help in the canteen and ended working a 6 hour shift restocking serverys good fun and people but hard and hot work.
The queue for breakfast this morning went from the canteen to the toilet block which is about 600 metres and it took around 30 mins to get served plus time to get a cuppa. Right now my training at the canteen has been delayed as they are still serving breakfast.
ttfn.