The final Parade of the Spring Term saw the whole Contingent Parade formally. Our Inspecting Officer was an Old Marian, who attended the School from 1989-96. He was Captain of School, Captain of Rugby and a CSM in the Army Section of the CCF. Commander Matthew J Punch MBE RN has enjoyed a very successful career in the Royal Navy as a Naval Aviator - flying helicopters. His resumé is shown below:
It was a great pleasure to welcome back Cmdr Matthew to the School and to have him Inspect the cadets and Take the Salute during a March Past. We wish him well in his current posting to Joint Forces Headquarters.
Commander Punch takes the initial salute from Cadet RSM Tom Burns and is invited to Inspect the Contingent. Also invited to the Parade were Major Tom Williams, who is currently an Army Reservist, Major Andrew & Captain Catherine Maund of Kings School Worcester CCF. Major Maund was formally an officer with QMGS CCF from 1998 to 2002. Lt. Will Wyllie from Holly Lodge CCF was invited as his Contingent is closely aligned to QMGS CCF and we try to assist his very recently formed contingent in its training, whenever we can
Major Tom Williams
Major Andrew Maund and
Captain Catherine Maund
Cmdr Punch takes the Salute during the The March Past.
We thank Commander Punch for giving so much of his time from his very busy work life with the Joint Service Headquarters to come to our Formal Parade.
RAF Inskip
We were not assigned to an RAF Station for the Annual RAF Camp at Easter this year. This is most unusual and hopefully not a sign for the future. The RAF Section were able to spend a week at the RAF's northwestern Outdoor Adventure Centre at Inskip in Lancashire.
During the week the cadets and CFAVs were put through their confidence and leadership paces at "Go Ape" at Rivington, Lancs.
A series of zip wires, walking platforms and bridges, took the cadets at height around a tree top course.
Day 2 saw a day of confidence, leadership and teamwork exercises in the morning and skills sessions in archery, flight simulators and paint balling (when possible). In the evening some interesting skill and mental tests were put on a Colonel's Competion for the interflight Competition
Day 3 took the cadets to two museums in Salford Quays. The Science & Industrial Museum in the morning and the Imperial War Museum in the afternoon. On the final day an R&R day was spent in Blackpool.
Adventurous Training
On the first day of the holiday cadets travelled to Farchynys and spent the first evening preparing for what turned out to be a pretty gruelling three days expedition to ascend as many of the Welsh 3000 mountain tops as the weather allowed.
Day 1 was spent attaining and traversing the Carneddau ridge plateau. All but one of the six 300s were claimed. Overnight was spent at a campsite in the shadow of Tryfan. A hot evening container meal and next day breakfasts and lunches were brought up from Farchynys by the Support Team to the campsite.
Weather conditions on the tops were rather brutal. Cold easterly winds did not allow for comfortable walking. However the group quickly adapted to the conditions and completed the tough first day admirably.
The summit of Carnedd Llewelyn
The traverse from Carnedd Llewelyn to Carnedd Dafydd
Dinner at the camp site
Day 2 was the hardest day for ascending. Not only the, mainly scrambled, ascent of Tryfan, but also the rough descent off and ascent up to the Glyderau plateau. A short descent then ascent up to
Y Garn saw, again, all but one of the 3000s conquered. Descent and trek back to the campsite for the leg-weary group was eased by a pick up from Ogwen Cottage CP.
Group on summit of Tryfan
Group shot on the Cantilever on Glyder Fach
Airless under jumper
Day 3 hopefully took in 2/3 of the Snowdon Horseshoe. Sadly the windy weather had deteriorated so that the ascent of Crib Goch had to be left for another day. Ascent via the PyG Track to Yr Wyddfa and a retrace to bag Carnedd Ugain completed the traverse of the 3000s. Descent for safety reasons was by the Snowdon Ranger Path. Here a very tired but ecstatic group met the Support Team to be taken back to Farchynys for welcome showers and comfy bunk beds.
The windswept summit of Carnedd Ugain 
The group safely back down at the Snowdon Ranger CP
Another busy term's training began on Friday 3rd May with the weekly Parade. Skill at Arms training, two Outward Bound WEs, a Desert Warfare WE, Field Day and Annual Army Camp.
