Comments on: Colony Holidays and Tubby the Tuba

By: Mark

Mark — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 20:36:03 +0000

Oh, my goodness -such memories! Brettenham Park, the one in Rugby, Little Appley on the Isle of Wight, Talybont on Usk (just seen Steve Pickstock on a Civil War programme on TV – he was a monitor there,) and Balla-cloan on the Isle of Man in 1980.

The best fun you could have in 12 days – no frills, no TV, no video games – just you, your new friends and your imagination.

i love the way this site comes up when someone does a Google search – probably, like me, after a glass of wine as the happy memories start to flow.

By: Strangely

Strangely — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 15:03:33 +0000

Yay @Tim and @Dominic. And thanks! I never did Featherstone Castle although my sister did. The CCHS Facebook page is here:

https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=89538668420

As a reminder, if anyone has kids/grandkids who’d like a similar Colony Holidays experience the organisation is called A.T.E. and their Facebook page is here:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/ATE-Superweeks/82955924301

(Both links open in a new window)

A.T.E. details are as follows:

Website: http://www.ate.org.uk/

The Active Training & Education Trust

8 St. Ann’s Road

Malvern

Worcestershire

WR14 4RG

email: info@ate.org.uk

tel: 0845 456 1205

Also, as a reminder, here’s the Gert Frobe bit… This and Tubby the Tuba are indelibly linked in my mind.
http://youtube.com.com/watch?v=McFj_vq3cwk

By: Tim Baylis

Tim Baylis — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 12:48:55 +0000

Dominic,

I also remeber Sue Stokes and her sister Jane but couldnt recall their surnames until I saw your post. They were from Buckhurst Hill when I met them on CCHS at (possibly) Featherstone.Perhaps you and I did Featherstone together .. cant recall.

One of the great things about CCHS for me now is the appreciation we all have for what Chris Green and his colleagues did. I hope he takes great pride in what he did and the benefit those attending got from it.

There is a Facebook page now for CCHS that is getting more members (or whatever they are called ) it would be great if everyone who attended signed up to the page to give some cohesion to our recollection of the benefits of CCHS this might in some small way help Chris with his campaign.

Further thought based on your and my recollections; perhaps there is a latent Sue Stokes (and of course we would include sister Jane) appreciation society! composed of what were undoubtedly spotty youths; its difficult to see this as an attractive proposition from her prospective!

Great times

By: Dominic Banner

Dominic Banner — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 08:25:54 +0000

Oh such happy days.

Care free wide games, 40,40, midnight feasts, singing songs and learning some strange dancing which I think has scarred me for life, but such fun at the time.

I did quite a few and fell in love with so many places, Falcon Manor, Featherstone Castle, Kingston Manor (I think) amongst others there was one near Rugby but the very best was at Lynmouth. some of the boys slept in what can only be described as glorified garden sheds, absolutely brilliant. I remember going into Lynmouth and having a frothy coffee, in the days when cappucinno had not been heard of.

I have often thought of and looked for Colony Holidays on line, but have not found anything before so it is fantastic to read all of the comments above. I have often thought about 3 people that I met on 4 or 5 Colonys, I would love to meet up with a guy called Mathew Macdonald (P,nuts) (from Putney), Sue Stokes, a bit of a rock chick that always reminded me of Suzi Quatro (from London I think Wanstead) and Francesca Nelson (from Gravesend Chatham area). On the off chance that you read this you can find me on facebook under Nic Banner.

A message to Chris, I can't thank you enough for the wonderfully happy times that you helped to make for me. Colony Holidays were an escape for me from a far from happy childhood, you could never know how much of an oasis you created for some of us, as I am sure I am not the only one. You really are a true gentleman and one of lifes true stars.

To Strangely, Thanks for brightening my day.

By: Strangely

Strangely — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 11:42:49 +0000

Thanks Phil.
Bredenbury and Ramsey – check! My visits were about 4-5 years before yours though. Great times. Really great times.

By: phil ellis

phil ellis — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 22:39:02 +0000

Having spent my childhood in the 70's waiting for the next colony holiday, it's so nice to read of others memories.i went to Bredenbury Court in '73, Balacloan, Ramsey(?) in '74, Talybont-on -Usk, Herecroft Hall and maybe a few others up to ''79. such incredible times and easily the best time of my childhood….tho the reunions at Linden Manor came a very close second. My eldest son is just starting his monitor training and i'm going to ask him to read everyone's comments.

By: DianeRLoden

DianeRLoden — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 13:51:29 +0000

I can really foresee how Mr. C. Green survive all these years. He is really a smart survivor on the path called life. Keep it up Sir!

(this was a hack attempt – I've left it to show the insidous nature of these things – SP)

By: james cullen

james cullen — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 13:53:53 +0000

i googled colony holidays and got to your site, i loved colony holidays when i was a kid in the 80s im 37 now i went on a few colony holidays i remember getting the brocure and picking the holiday i wanted , i only remember linden manor but went to about 4 colony then when colony finished i went with LCHO , but colony holidays were brilliant i remember one were about 6 older american lads were there and we had breakdancing lessons off them i remember a capture the flag game were everyone had cards of military rank (i loved being a spy !) i remember making rafts on rivers, death slides , arts and crafts ,one centre had a outdoor swimming pool,going out camping and making huge fires , i loved staying in big manor houses with huge fireplaces (just like Hogwarts)!!! in our dorms singing then down to a roaring fireplace were we would sing all the colony songs drinking coa coa or hot chocolate ,sneaking to the girls dorms meeting kids from around the country, and the girls !!! , and going to some loverly towns , so thankyou to whoever runs this site my email is here im james cullen im from liverpool and had a magical experience when i was a kid so thanks to the monitors and management for the good times

By: Bryony Horn

Bryony Horn — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 22:06:07 +0000

It has been lovely reading through all the postings and remembering the songs and wide games. I was an Assistant caterer and a domestic on various Colony Holidays. We had the opportunity to join in with things once our duties were done. Another song I remember is Mr Rabbit Mr Rabbit your ears are mighty long. and Poor Old Cow that started 'Terrible collision on the railway line'.

I remember dressing up as a ghost for a wide game. I stayed in Featherstone Castle and as the catering team we slept in the tower which was supposed to be haunted. I woke up in the middle of the night so petrified I couldn't move! Also went to Red Hill, Moreton Hall and others – I would have to look up where else. I am a hoarder and still have the wage packets given to us somewhere! My Nanny, Enily Horn introduced me to Colony Holidays. She was a caterer. I came across the book Go! a book of games for sale and bought it but unfortunately have since lost it. I use to use the games for the Brownies to play in the Pack I run. There was one widegame which name escapes me at the moment but it involved one team having crosses put on the face using cocoa powder mixed with water and circles on the other team. I think each team had a base and had to try to win players from the other team. This was done by 'challenging' and who ever was rated with the highest number of points one the challenge and joined the other team.

This is a brilliant site. Thank you!

By: Strangely

Strangely — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 09:33:33 +0000

Thanks Jan.

My 4-weeker was great, an opener-upper for my life. And like you, when I found out that CCHS had morphed into ATE, all my children were too old… :-(

As a reminder, the Facebook group is here:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=89538668…