Yup you guessed it – I went to Thorpe Park.
Forgetting how expensive it is, I spent a bloody fortune. Train was £5.55, lunch was £10 [I am nice, and bought someone else their lunch, entrance, etc etc. Never the less, money isn't everything and it was probably all worth it I reckon. I'm also fortunate enough to have been working at HSBC for a bit last week, so that also made it less of an issue.
It's also a trek from Purley: train to E Croydon, change to Clapham Junction, change for the Staines train, and then the 950 shuttle bus! ARGH it was so stressful! Once we got there the ticket queues were reasonably quick, so didn't take long and we had got into the park.
It was mainly a Victory Unit activity, but they could invite friends so I went. I forget who my friend was, but someone invited me! It was nice to see some new faces, and also those faces of unit members which I already knew. Now I am going to start to rant:
I fully appreciate I was the oldest person being 17. I know I can be sensible when I want to, and often am. I also fully accept that I have been to Thorpe Park before, and roughly know where some rides are. I also accept that I have worked for chessington, and know the procedure for a lost child. Finally I also accept that I have my phone on me permanently, and I can phone people BUT:
The whole group of us [10 people] were walking to collusus which is one of the rides. I thought that everyone knew as it was made blatantly the obvious, and 9 people knew this. But 1 didn’t. Once we got to the ride queue line, I thought I would quickly check we had everyone, but we were one missing. Not a problem, I quickly went back to the start of the queue expecing to see him there. No such luck, he was not there. Stuff runs through my head…..what do we did….argh what a twat..etc ….. Never the less zoe and tom [who were "organising" the event] decided to go back to the lockers as he might go there to meet us to get his bag and to call someone. No such luck. They then decided to ask one of the retail establishments, which was a semi-sensible idea. I tried explaining that they wouldn’t take a lost 15 year old too seriously. A lost 5 year old would be different. The shop said go to guest services and report it there, firstly that’s wrong – all lost children should be reported to the medical centre. Anyway eventually we went there and they correctly sent us to the medical centre as they should have done originally. Once we got to the medical centre they basically said we only deal with lost children under the age of 12. As I said to them before, but never mind. By this time I was seriously peed off, and suggested we had lunch as it had been pissing down and we were all soaking wet. What a good idea of mine, so we all headed off to Burger King via the lockers again. After 45 mins in there we had all eaten, and dried off a bit. Then guess who we see walking past the window? Our lost member, so someone told him and we all met up. End of a worry over. When questioned what he’d done to find us….he had been wandering [aimlessly]…and then went on some rides on his own…WHAT A KNOB! There was us worried where he was and everything, and he was on rides and not even trying to find us. We later revealed that although he’s 15, he acts like a 10 year old and realises he hasn’t developed into a 15 year old yet. Nothing wrong with him, just a bit young at heart!
This got me thinking, and I came out thinking how glad and happy I am that they are not in ym jamboree unit. There was 10,000 people on thorpe park…imagine him getting lost at jamboree with 40,000 people! Agh not my problem then!! I also do feel a bit sorry for him and those his age, as they did get treated like 5 year olds from some of the explorers! They are 14/15 for God sake, they are more than capable of going round a theme park..they don’t need to be under constant supervision! I’d have haten that – at 15 I was always out on my own..I know I am quite sensible for my age but that’s neither hear nor there.
The last ride we did before leaving was something or other, and having spent an hour and a half queueing in pouring rain everyone was wet tired and wanting to go home. 30 minutes later certain people sorted out the younger explorers and that they are ok going home….A quick are you all ok with getting home would have done…not a indepth questioning that they are ok, and instructions of not to talk to strangers is a piss take. If a 16 year old had told me that when I was 14/15 I would have gone mental. They aren’t that young!!!
Got home at about 1830, and was knackered but had a good day!
Went to Tesco to get Dad a fathers day card, and am now at home having a good old strongbow!
