Excerpts from expedition report for Renfrewshire Educational Trust, dated 13th December, 1967
Original Plan
The original plan involved driving overland from Port Glasgow to Jordan in two long wheel base land rovers or similar vehicles. By taking the full month of July this would have given the party ten days in Jordan.
An interesting and exciting programme had been arranged, including a trip across the desert to the newly formed Nature Reserve at Azraq Oasis, a visit to the Gulf of Arabia, the Dead Sea and Jerusalem. It had even been arranged that our visit would finish with an audience with King Hussein at Amman.
Change of Plan
A deteriorating political situation and a threat of war caused us to abandon the Jordan trip within five weeks of our planned departure. An alternative expedition to North Africa, involving a journey deep into the Sahara Desert was arranged. However, the outbreak of the Arab-Israeli War, and the consequent anti-British feeling in all Arab countries, made the North African journey too inadvisable.
With only three weeks till departure time, the plans were changed again. The original route would be followed as far as Istanbul, from where the expedition would head east through Turkey and if time allowed into Persia.
Personnel
The party was made up of fifteen boys from Seconday III and IV - Senior Secondary classes. All had previous experience of outdoor activities through local youth organisations, school outdoor activities, and Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme. They were well warned that this would not be a normal school outing, but would demand great physical and mental stamina on their part.
Cost
The members of the party paid £60 each, a further £20 each being raised by the pupils from dances, concerts, work parties etc.
The grant of £150 from the Renfrewshire Educational Trust assisted greatly.
Conclusion
What had we achieved?
Firstly, a journey of nearly 8,000 miles into a remote corner of a little known part of the world. The conditions - physical and mental - faced by the boys on the venture would have finished many an adult. With few exceptions, morale was high, and although being cooped up in confined spaces in great heat and dust is not conducive to even tempers, personal relations were good.
The boys were treated at all times as responsible members of a team, and were given responsibility for cooking, finance, gear storage and records.
The planning took some eighteen months, and, although obviously disappointed that war made our original Jordan plan impossible, I feel that we can be proud of having broken new ground as far as Scottish State Scools are concerned.
John T. K. Barr
Expedition Leader
Port Glasgow High School
;)
;)
;)
1967 
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
