Drenched and muddy, splashing across puddles, a group of nine-year-olds scrambled through the woodland on the banks of Windermere in 1989.

They were on a scavenger hunt and having the time of their lives.

The children were some of the 150 boys and girls who had been to the YMCA national centre’s camps at Lakeside on the banks of Windermere every week of the summer holidays.

They came for a week of fell running, canoeing or archery.

A bus brought them into the Day Camp every morning and then it was non-stop action until they were taken home again, tired but happy.

Each camp lasted a week.

The children were split into age groups Dales Folk were eight and nine-year-olds, Fell Runners ten to 11 and Explorers 12 to 14.

Their teams were named after chocolate bars. Dave Andrew, a 20-year-old student from Chester, was in charge of the Aeros, a group of Dales Folk from Barrow and Ulverston.

They crawled on their hands and knees through a stream tunnel in the middle of a stream. All six of them were soaked to the skin.

“This is the adventure hour,” explained Dave. “They love it.”

Each day started with a morning activity session, which could be anything from rowing to scrambling about on YMCA’s assault course.

An adventure hour followed and then there was a lunch break and general drying out.

In the afternoon there was another activity session followed by a choice hour. All the activities took place outside and involved climbing, scrambling or simply getting wet.

Eight-year-old Rachel Hannaway summed it up for most of the children. "I've been on holiday already to Spain and this is just as good," she said.

Day Camps had been held at the YMCA every summer for the last 15 years.

"It's an introduction to outdoor pursuits and to the environment," said group leader Peter Jarvis.

"We have all the equipment here. We have kayaks, canoes, climbing gear, games and archery.

"They might arrive with one or two friends in their group, but once they're here they tend to make friends very quickly."