Memories from the Woodsmoke summer camp for Sunderland boys as 101st event due to take place

An annual Summer camp which is packed with games, midnight feasts and quests is back again for Sunderland boys.

This year marks the 101st time that the Woodsmoke event will have been held.

Fun, football and midnight feasts

It will run from Tuesday, July 25 to Friday, August 4, and organisers are promising 'more activities than you can shake a tent peg at'.

The camp, which is held near Hexham, Northumberland, has its roots in St Gabriel’s Church, Sunderland.

The annual ten-day attraction has been held every year since 1912 with only the war years and the Covid-19 pandemic interrupting the record.

It all started at St Gabriel's

George Ford is one of the people who has been involved for years and had his first experience of it all in 1959.

He said: “In the 60’s and early 70’s there were regularly up to 100 campers on site.

"There are many campers over the years who have followed their father and even grandfather to Woodsmoke Camp.”

The organisers are the ‘Woodsmoke Group’ which is a charitable organisation with a Facebook page about its summer camp.

A marquee for meals and entertainment

The event was the brainchild of clergymen at St Gabriel’s Church, Sunderland.

It was B Lasbrey and Gordon Vining who came up with the idea to hold a summer camp for boys of the parish. It has never looked back.

Children gathered for the first time at a site near Saltburn but the camp moved to Seaton Point on the Northumberland coast until after the Second World War when the Tyne Valley near Riding Mill became its base.

It was launched as a boys camp with boys sleeping in bell tents each led by a tent officer. A large marquee is used for meals and entertainment.

Have a go at Podex

There is a cookhouse with high quality food prepared by two ex-campers. The daily routine has not changed much since those early days with similar sporting competitions.

Tent trophies are competed for and one, the ‘Camp Pot’ was introduced in 1921. Soccer, Tent Tidying and an unusual game called Podex are also held.

Watch out for a new website

A new addition this year will be the Woodsmoke website which is coming soon.

George added: "We are particularly keen to use the website  to raise awareness for campers from years ago who may want to revisit or consider members of their own family as potential campers."

River rafting, laser quests, a tuck shop and football are expected to be among this year's activities.

To find out more, visit the Woodsmoke Facebook page.