90 (Speke) Squadron ATC

39 Woolton Road
Garston
Liverpool
L19 5ND
       Tel: 01514270940
  Email: 90@merseysidewing.org
                  Web: www.90speke.org.uk

Cadets of 90 (Speke) Squadron experience the two extremes of British weather adding to the enormous challenge of the Duke of Edinburgh award.

The Duke of Edinburgh Award consists of three stages; Bronze, Silver and Gold. The Silver award consists  of two expeditions, one as a practice and one ‘actual’.

As the Cadets set off in the Yorkshire Dales on a October Friday morning the weather was looking promising, clear skies and a shining sun made the first day of the expedition relatively easy compared to weather experienced on their practice expedition. If only they knew what was to come! 

As the first day came to a close and the team reached their first camp site, they set up camp and started cooking their meals—all of their equipment had to be carried with them at all times on the expedition, adding to what was already a difficult task.

The real challenge then woke with the Cadet’s on the Saturday morning, as ten minutes from leaving the camp site the weather had reversed into what was described as the worst weather the Staff had experienced on a D of E.

However the 90 Squadron Cadets rose to the challenge, which involved lots of teamwork and acts of leadership as they traversed over difficult terrain with visibility sometimes as low as just a few metres! The staff continually monitored the weather and route to make sure it posed no risk to the safety of the Cadets. They fought on and completed the expedition at the close of the weekend. As they departed late on that Sunday, Cadet Michael Threlfall explained:

“Although the weather originally seemed to be a real negative , it turned out to be a real positive because of how everybody reacted to it, it was definitely more fun than the practice expedition and a great thing to do with your mates.”