They don’t take too kindly to varmints and bandits at Wild West Fest. The Sheriff that runs these parts has a particular way of dealing with ruffians. “The Sheriff got us for making noise past 11pm,” explains Ollie, 1st Woodhall Spa Scouts, “so we had to do a job of moving an old tent to the bins”. Keeping the Sheriff happy is rewarded in the subcamp. When the deputies, in Wild West HQ, notice participants being kind, doing good deeds, or donating to the food bank, then pesos are awarded. There’s a whole system for exchanging pesos for doubloons, doubloons for question cards, and correctly answered question cards for access to the mysterious figure of Old Man Clanton. He’s a local gang leader who’s collecting a posse to break the bank. Each site aims to be among the first to break the bank and gain Old Man Clanton’s favour. The Wild West staff we spoke to didn’t know what exactly was in the bank, and, at the time of writing, Old Man Clanton himself was unavailable for comment. Pesos are not available to outsiders.
Around the subcamp, groups and units have really bought into the Wild West theme. For example, 1st Market Deeping Guides have dubbed themselves the Coolest Cowgirls, and created a Saloon entrance gate, complete with (hobby) horses, secured to a post. “Everyone has a cowboy hat,” says Libby, of Welton Rural Guides.
7th Corby Guides and 38th Rangers have a theme a day for their outfits, with Moustache Monday, Wellie Wednesday, and Funky Friday.
