Terry Potter and Geologist's Stone

Training was early this morning to ensure as volunteers we could put in two hours without compromising our family lives. A lot of what we do can only be achieved due to our partners and families allowing us the time to train...and respond if necessary. At the same time we have normal lives to live - we're not full time!

Anyway, it was a useful opportunity to get 10 Coastguards up on The Downs and run through a number of cliff rescue scenarios giving everyone to practice skills and learn new ones too.

Chris pulling a Next catalogue pose

Roger doing a spot of Officer In Charge - is that a bacon sandwich on the horizon?

Steve left down the cliff - '...what's that Steve, I can't hear you'

Fair to say that Terry, or Terry Potter, took the brunt of the teasing which he deserves for being a fan of Harry Potter.

Luckily he brought a broom in case there was a chance of a game of Quidditch.

Terry with flying broomstick
(Poor chap was so busy concentrating of getting the harness on that he didn't see us pull this stunt on him,
in fact first time he'll know is when he reads this blog!)

Meanwhile Roger decide to rescue and bring a rock up in the dog bag as a bit of ballast, not that he needs a lot, and our resident geologist Duncan - or Mr Hobbs as he's called at school - promptly decided it was Shelly limestone.  

Duncan said it was named after a person called Mr Shelly; but I reckon he's having us on because we all know that the rock is a highly fossiliferous limestone, composed of a number of fossilised organisms such as brachiopods, bryozoans, crinoids, sponges, corals, carrots and mollusks. It varies in colour, texture and hardness.  So basically Limestoen full of shells, or Shelly Limestone.     

So what did we learn today? Well they do a great breakfast gap down the Seagull Cafe, Duncan is a Geo-fibber, and we found out that Chris has taken over the mantle of camp photo coastguard (From Brian)

On the serious side, the kit all works well, the team all know how to use it, and we are more than ready for the summer season.