Why does it seem that whenever I run a multi day rock climbing course, the weather plays havoc with the week’s program?! However, at the end of the day there aren’t many people that get to enjoy working outdoors in such stunning places. I’ve spent this week working for CCAT (Cadet Centre for Adventurous Training) [...]

I work regularly with Ellesmere College CCF, predominantly with the ‘Advanced Infantry’ which is made up of Year 11 cadets who have already had several years of cadet experience. Once a term, Ellesmere College puts timetabled lessons to one side to enable all it’s pupils to experience something different. This term, three days were put [...]

I’ve been working with Oswestry School for a couple of years now, but had little to do with the military training of the CCF (Combined Cadet Force). This has been due to my regular commitment to another CCF unit that happens on the same afternoon of each week in term time. However, yesterday afternoon I [...]

I’ve been very privileged to spend the last week working with a group of 6 Canadian Cadets on a rock climbing course in North Wales. They are part of a larger group of cadets that have been selected to come over to the UK for several weeks as part of an exchange. This week, they [...]

As Ellesmere College starts to wind down for the end of term, lessons were canceled for 3 days to enable all pupils to get off the school grounds an experience something very different from the classroom. Ellesmere College provides a wide range of extra curricular opportunities and it’s 3 day ‘expeditions’, as they are known, [...]

Today was one of those days when you don’t get much opportunity to gather your thoughts. I had two jobs on today, both of which were with cadets, but in different places. Oswestry School CCF had their biennial inspection today, for which a high ranking officer from the regular forces comes to see how training [...]

This was a 24 hour exercise for cadets from Ellesmere College CCF on the southern end of Nesscliffe Training Area in Shropshire. We have recently been teaching these cadets about orders, particularly the orders process and structure of formal orders. This exercise was designed to give the cadets the opportunity to receive orders, assess how [...]

This weekend involved a trip to North Wales with cadets from Oswestry School CCF. Taking advantage of accommodation at Capel Curig Training Camp put us right on the doorstep of some fantastic terrain in which to enjoy a couple of days’ hill walking, introducing many of the cadets to this kind of environment for the [...]