SHIPWRECKED pirates was the theme of this year’s Landlubbers Holiday Club run by Churches in Minehead last week (August 4-7).
The 48 children were in four teams of pirate crews - the Red Rubies, the Golden Nuggets, the Blue Sapphires and the Green Emeralds – who competed to win the most golden doubloons over the week.
The children explored the stories of Paul’s adventures, including an earthquake, temporary blindness, a shipwreck and a monumental journey around the Mediterranean Sea.
Challenges included harpooning fish, climbing the rigging and walking the plank plus the slightly less daunting tasks of eating doughnuts on a string and sliding chocolate mints down their faces to eat them without touching them with their hands.
They also made sparkling treasure chests, lighthouse nightlights, treasure map board games and edible islands.
Throughout the week they were entertained by the antics of the ship’s crew acting out the stories.
Among those taking part were Exmoor Youth Project Youth Worker Jess James as Captain Kate, Baptist Minister Tim Langdon as ‘Miserable Roger’, Methodist outreach worker Lynne Wooldridge ‘Dangerous Daisy’ and Methodist community worker Clive Wooldridge ‘Captain Blew Beard’.
They managed to sink their own ship, get captured by the British Navy and lose all their treasure. However, they did learn some important lessons along the way about forgiveness and turning their backs on their bad pirate ways. They were also rewarded by winning the canon ball relay and getting a King’s pardon.
The week ended with a lunch for all the helpers, the children and their families and was attended by 120 people.
Pictured are the Green Emeralds in all their pirate glory.