In the early evening, the other workers said the group was up for a walk, so I guided them on a reasonably gentle stroll over the hills - though they saw it as a rather strenuous march. We all settled down in the evening to warm food and some stories and conversation around the fire.
The following day, predictably and inevitably, tensions arose. Some individuals were more co-operative than others. Their workers set boundaries, which some were not happy to accept. Tempers boiled over and arguments arose.
Many, though not all, of the young people were the classic targets of public policy: they had troubled family backgrounds and had been excluded from school. Some had criminal records. They were not a "natural" group and they were certainly not easy individuals. Early on in the second evening there was a dramatic verbal clash between two of the young people, but that - paradoxically - seemed to clear the air, and the rest of the evening proceeded in a far more pleasant atmosphere.
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