Festival of Music and Drill & CGB 125 Camp, 10-12 July 2026 – Three Days, Zero Chance of Getting Bored!
If you thought camp was all about sleeping in tents or dormitories, eating questionable amounts of food and being woken up far too early… you would be absolutely correct!
This year our annual Festival of Music and Drill was combined with activities to commemorate and celebrate 125 years of The Church Girls Brigade. It was three packed days of music, marching, outdoor activities, teamwork, competitions, performances, great food, fun and probably not quite enough sleep.
There was something for everyone, whether you were a budding musician, an assault-course champion, a professional den builder, or simply someone who enjoys a good biscuit at supper.
Friday – Welcome to Camp!
A dedicated team of leaders from across the Brigade arrived early on Friday to prepare the site, ensuring everything was ready for the arrival of our members. Their hard work and teamwork created the perfect start to a fun-filled and successful weekend.
By early evening, the rest of the leaders and members were arriving, bags were being unpacked and the site was beginning to feel like camp.
As soon as they arrived everyone got straight down to business setting up for band rehearsals before the important job of… having fun!
There were games and activities with plenty of opportunity to run around outside. Basically, there was very little excuse for anyone to say, “I’m bored.”
Once everyone had arrived, we gathered for the camp briefing and supper. Important information was shared, although we’re fairly sure some people were already thinking about what snacks were available.
Then came bedtime.
Whilst our younger members headed off to bed our older members and leaders enjoyed the opportunity to sit and relax for a while.
And yes, we know with all the excitement some members probably didn’t go straight to sleep at lights out.
Saturday – The Big One!
Saturday started at 7.30am with reveille. For some people, 7.30am is a perfectly reasonable time to wake up. For others, it is an outrageous personal attack.
After breakfast and the morning briefing, the day really got going and excitement reached another level with the arrival of a huge inflatable assault course, which proved to be one of the highlights of the weekend, enjoyed by members and leaders alike.
The Senior Band headed into rehearsals while everyone else practiced their drill. The drill squad enjoyed marching to the band as they rehearsed before rounding off the session with a game of Simon Says.
After a short break, it was straight into the activities, with groups taking part in a range of challenges including den building, assault course, a first response challenge and other team-based games.
The activities encouraged teamwork, communication and problem-solving, with plenty of friendly competition along the way. There were also opportunities to take a break and enjoy some of the less energetic activities available.
After lunch, the Junior Band were busy rehearsing and preparing for their performance later in the day.
A small group of members and leaders also travelled to Goole to attend the grave rededication service for Florence Milner, one of the founders of the CGB. The short service included prayers, readings and music provided by an all-female ensemble.
It was a moving and fitting occasion, providing an opportunity to reflect on the organisation’s heritage and the legacy of those who helped establish it.
Once everyone was back on site, it was straight back into the activities. Then, later in the afternoon, it was time for the Junior Band to perform and put their rehearsal into practice.
It was a great opportunity for members to showcase their progress and share what they had been working on with the whole camp.
And then, of course, came the really important question: What’s for tea?
After tea, everyone had time to shower and get ready for the evening.
Then things got competitive again.
Saturday night featured our very own Taskmaster-style challenge, with members taking on a series of challenges requiring creativity, teamwork and a healthy willingness to look slightly ridiculous in front of everyone else.
Later on, we gathered to cheer on England in their impressive victory over Norway, creating a fantastic atmosphere around the camp.
By 12.30am, camp was officially supposed to be asleep.
“Supposed to be” being the operative words, but after England’s victory it took a little while for all the excitement to settle down.
Sunday – Time to Show Off!
Sunday morning arrived far too quickly, breakfast followed by the all-important change into uniform.
We then headed off to the historic town of Beverley, ready for our parade and church service.
This provided members with the opportunity to represent the organisation publicly, showcasing their musical and marching skills, discipline and their Brigade spirit. And, importantly, to prove that all that rehearsal had actually been worth it!
We had an action-packed church service, with members taking part in the sermon, readings and prayers. It didn’t end there, as we also provided entertainment with a static performance within the church grounds after the service as the congregation left. 
We then formed up and paraded back through Beverley town centre before returning to camp.
After lunch came the bit nobody likes, Operation clean up!
Everyone was busy striking camp and making sure everything was clean and tidy. Uniforms were packed away, tents came down and the site was returned to something resembling normality. Somehow, despite the amount of stuff that had appeared over the weekend, it all had to fit back into bags again.
There was no magical camp-cleaning fairy. There was, however, a lot of teamwork!
At the end of the afternoon, we held our final parade and dismissal, then just like that, the 2026 Festival of Music and Drill & CGB 125 Camp had come to an end.
What Did We Learn?
Quite a lot actually!
The weekend wasn’t just about having fun and celebrating our history. The activities helped members develop teamwork, communication, leadership, confidence and problem-solving skills.
Den building taught us that apparently everyone has an opinion about how to build the best den.
The assault course taught us that some of our leaders are no longer as agile as they once were.
The first response challenge taught us that carrying people on stretchers is harder than it looks
And the music programme showed just how much can be achieved when everyone puts the rehearsal time in.
The Junior and Senior Bands both had valuable opportunities to rehearse and perform, with performances at camp and in Beverley providing a great showcase for their hard work.
Three Days Well Spent
So, what can we say about this year’s camp?
Lots of music.
Lots of activities.
Lots of teamwork.
Lots of great food.
Lots of laughs.
Lots of new friends.
Not quite enough sleep.
From the Goole grave re-dedication to the Beverley parade, from den building to the first response challenge, and from Taskmaster to cheering on England, there was always something happening throughout the weekend.
Most importantly, members had the chance to spend time together, make new friends, learn new skills and have a brilliant weekend away from their usual routine.
A huge thank you goes to every leader who gave up their time to make the weekend possible, and to all the members whose enthusiasm and behaviour made the camp such a success
Now all that’s left to do is unpack the bags, find all the missing socks and start counting down to the Festival of Music and Drill 2027!
