"ndahl's new Tomsk Page" a Tomsk Travel Page by ndahl

One of our group during a march
through the siberian tundra having misjudged the distance between pieces of solid ground

I didn't actually get to Omsk but went to Tomsk which isn't too far away.

Our trip had numerous aims and purposes and are as follows-----
I had been running a hovercraft project in London for 7 years for young people of mixed physical and intellectual abilities, and this trip was to be the culmination as the participants were getting to the age when they wanted to do different things, so it was to end on a high.
I wanted to prove that everyone, regardless of ability can achieve in ways that are beneficial to their confidence, their sense of self and to their growth.
Lastly, I wanted to show a side of the then Soviet Union that I had seen in the past, even at the height of the cold war, and that few foreigners saw in those days when the Soviet Union was dubbed the "evil empire" by a well known western politician who shall remain nameless.
I think the whole project was worthwhile even if just a few people benefited.
Carl who is downs syndrome and loved the Russian girls, retained the little russian language I had taught him so that he could tell his favourites that he loved them;
Raymond who has an intellectual disability was able for some time later to organise his own trips to wherever he wanted to go---All he did was tell his youth worker, the youth worker would help him set it up( along with other young people of course )--- the youth worker gained the credit for setting up the trip and Raymond enjoyed the fruits of his labour.
I certainly gained, it was the biggest thing I'd ever done and I've been high on it ever since.
I also gained a wonderful wife.

Unfortunately, one of our members-Christine Scanlon- died tragically shortly afterwards and if anyone connected to Christine or her family, the Huddlestone centre or the Hackney outreach project is reading this, it is dedicated to Christine.