During the weekend Saturday the 4 th September to Sunday the 5 th September 2010 Cadets from 2028 (Southam) Squadron went on a Bronze D of E Expedition to the Mendips. The Cadets and Staff left the Squadron at 0630 on the Saturday to travel down to the Camp site at Broadway House in Cheddar. The Cadets couldn't believe their luck when they arrived to find it was a Holiday Park with proper Shower facilities and close to the Cheddar Gorge. But reality dawned when they were told to prepare for the first navigation walk. They soon realised that a D of E Expedition was not just a ‘walk' in nice countryside but involved using a map and compass and dealing with fields, woods and hills. Some of the Cadets had been on the previous weekend in July to the Black Mountains in Brecon and were eager to show they had learnt from the experience.

The Cadets set off on their first navigation at a steady pace up a steep inclining hill; by the time they were halfway, some of them were already tired and wanted a break but everyone managed to reach the top of the hill! From the top of the hill the Cadets navigated slightly off course but managed to get back on track. As the day progressed a good pace developed. After lunch everyone set off once again, reaching the highest point in the county where the Cadets had a 10 minute break to admire the view and have a snack. Once again everyone set off at a good pace and did good time for the last 5-6 kilometres. Once back at the camp site the Cadets found the pitch and set up camp. Everyone then had a good meal, cleaned up and spent the rest of the evening chatting and resting ready for the next day.

The Sunday was broken by one the Cadet's alarm going off. After everyone had cooked breakfast they started to break camp just as the heavens opened. With the tents and kit packed away the Cadets started walking at the same pace as Saturday but were surprised how long it seemed to be before the first check point. They carried on looking for a marked footpath but ended up walking about 1.5 kilometres too far. Then with the help from the staff who magically appeared, plus a quick fill up of water everyone regained their route. The walk was quite long and difficult on all the Cadets but once they reached the top of the yet another hill they grabbed a quick break and carried on, this time ,steeply down hill. The Cadets feet began to hurt but they carried on and seeing the staff thought it was all over, only to be told there was one more hill to go before they finally finished.

The Cadets were clearly relieved and really happy that they had made it, with a few hiccups along the way! They then began the long journey home, most of them falling asleep almost as soon as the mini bus moved off! Everyone agreed that the expedition was a great success, the Cadets learnt a lot about team-work, setting up tents, dealing with changing terrain and the occasional change in the weather but also helping those who found it more difficult than others. Everyone agreed they were looking forward to the next expedition.

The result of the weekend was an achievement for all by both qualifying for their Bronze Expedition but also learning a lot about team spirit and helping others through sometimes physically demanding and mentally difficult situations. The spirit of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and the Air Training Corps combined to produce an excellent result.

Flight Lieutenant Moreton, CO of 2028 Squadron commented, “The Cadets are all comparatively new to the Air Cadets and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, they learnt a lot from their experiences in the Black Mountains so achieving a ‘pass' in the Mendips is great news for all of them. They certainly put in a tremendous effort to gain their Bronze Expedition.”