Steve

"I am very excited after just reading your e-mail.  It seems we have come a long way since I chanced across your mail last year.

I have confirmed an offer of accommodation for you from the 28th Wallasey, they are based in St Georges Road, just down the hill from St Hillary's Church.  They have two halls and grounds for you to use.

Well the dates are already in my diary and my mind has already began thinking of a programme of activities for the duration of your stay.  For example, my girlfriend works for the Merseyside Museums (as well as being an Assistant Cub Scout Leader of course!) and should able to get you into the Merseysid  Maritime Museum at discounted rates, if not free.  I am sure it would make a great day out: take the ferry cruise across the Mersey, visit the Museum and the Albert Dock, where you will also find the Beatle's Story, perhaps go into the City Centre and see the real birthplace of the Beatles.

Obviously I am keen to get the Scouts of Wallasey involved in your visit, perhaps we could have an International ten-pin bowling competition?  For certain you will have your choice of water activities - during the summer months we have a license to use New Brighton Marine Lake for canoeing on Friday evenings and on Sunday Mornings.  We also have our District Boathouse just in case you want to brush up on some of your sea-scouting skills!

There is much time between now and your visit and I suppose I should not get carried away so soon.  In fact its your expedition so its what you want that counts.

I had noticed that interest in Wallasey was growing from your troop and have now had two messages sent to me and now appear in the Visitors pages on the District website, I look forward to meeting them, not to mention yourself, in person.

Our 2001 plans are slowing growing. Hopefully I'll have some rough costings soon and then I'll be able to see what 'real' interest there is.  The idea going to the BSA Seabase in the Florida Keys sounds wonderful and would be an added bonus to our trip.  However is it possible to get more information about the place so I can present it to our Scouts, before making a decision.  One particular consideration would be the added cost.

I'm off now for another Scouting weekend.  This time a canoeing competition organised by West Wirral.  I've only had one night off this week and that was spent typing up the minutes to a Leaders meeting!  Next week I'm off to Cumbria for a Venture Scout competition. Its a Regional event (NW England) and a team from Wallasey is representing Merseyside County.

Some day soon I'll get a day off!

Regards,

Graeme"