Alton Towers Sunday

The clocks went forward. Or back. Not sure which, but they did something in the night.
I was woken early by a couple of the explorers arguing sleepily over something, but they were quiet very soon, and I drifted off until about 830 when I got up- this is 830 BST, though how much difference that makes, I have no idea...
Chalky was up as well, and there was not a peep from anyone else. Dead to the world, not a sound from any of the tents.
It was a glorious day with blue skies, sun through the trees, and a light frosting on the tents.
Water set to boil and got the breakfast ready, just as they were deciding to vaguely wake up.
What a difference to the day before... they looked totally knackered, a mess, and certainly not ready to face the day at all. Ah the poor dears.
Still managed to get a couple of them to help out cooking.

As it was so nice I decided to move the tables outside, dual purpose of breakfast in the sun, and getting stuff out of the main tent, drying it out and beginning a stealth packing away.
After a slow breakfast, I got a couple of the louder ones to wash up the stuff, and set about getting everyone else to get their gear away- under a time limit, as we moved food out from the main tents, got things cleared up, took down the fold ups etc.
I found the best way to get things done was just to make sure everyone was busy at all times, and anyone that wasnt, ask them what they were doing and then assign them a job.
On reflection, I should have asked them what they THOUGHT needed doing, and then if I agreed with them, they would do it... make them think... but I wasnt thinking, so just organised them into groups doing everything.
Slowly everything came down, groundsheets got dried out, tents folded up, lunch made, pans washed and put away, did a rubbish sweep and got the remaining firewood taken back to the wood pile.

We were ready to move out at about 1ish, and headed on out, not too much of an issue, until driving down the motorway, chalky and the Transporter drew up alongside us and motioned at the roofrack- things looking dangerously like they might come loose, and the front wheel- looking like it was going to die- I was wondering why the steering felt so heavy.
so we pulled into a service station, where the air pump didnt work.
Watford Gap services, you are totally RUBBISH.

We then looked to get the spare wheel on the van... but had no jack.
At which point a random bloke came up and asked us if we could give him a jump start- happily, if we could use his jack to change our wheel....
The Explorers were out in the sun by now, away from the roads, chilling out while the leaders changed the tyre, for an equally squishy one, drove over and charged up the other blokes van, and filled up with diesel.

We drove a few miles down the road to the next service station where they had an air machine that actually worked (wonder of wonders!) where we tanked up the tyre and were fine for the rest of the way home, eventually getting there, bang on 6pm.
Got everything off the van, stored away, and the van cleaned before any of the parents showed up, and then, after a short talk and dismissal at the end... all good and done.
Happy Days.
just have to wait for the paperwork to come through now.