Six teams, two days of adventure, plenty of challenges and one very special celebration — Thunderbird 2026 was certainly a weekend to remember!

On Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th October, six teams from across Blaydon & District headed into the Northumberland countryside for this year’s Thunderbird Competition, taking on a weekend of hiking, incidents and teamwork around Blanchland.

Two Days of Adventure!

The adventure began on Saturday morning in Slaley Forest, where teams set off on a 7km hike across the moors towards Blanchland.

Along the way, they tackled a series of incidents testing their first aid, navigation, communication and problem-solving skills. As always, teamwork was key, with each patrol having to work together, make decisions and rise to the challenges thrown their way.

After arriving in Blanchland, it was time to pitch tents, cook an evening meal and settle in for a night camping on the village playing fields.

Sunday brought another action-packed day! After breakfast, the teams headed out on a second incident hike around Blanchland. The route might have been shorter, but with twice as many checkpoints, there was certainly no shortage of challenges to keep everyone busy!

Celebrating Howard’s 50th Thunderbird!

This year’s competition was particularly special, as Howard Gilfillan celebrated running his incredible 50th Thunderbird Competition!

Howard took over the running of Thunderbird in 1977 and has been at the heart of the event ever since. The time, effort and dedication he puts into organising the competition year after year is remarkable, helping generations of Scouts enjoy one of the highlights of our district’s Scouting calendar.

Of course, we couldn’t let such an amazing milestone pass without a celebration!

On Saturday evening, Howard was presented with a special cake and gifts to mark the occasion. One particularly meaningful gift was a beautiful hand-painted canvas of the Thunderbird Trophy, created by Sophie, one of our Explorer Scouts.

The artwork featured the names of past and present volunteers and Explorer Scouts, recognising the many people who have helped make Thunderbird possible over the years.

Howard, a huge thank you from everyone at Blaydon & District Scouts for everything you have done, and continue to do, for Thunderbird. Fifty competitions is an extraordinary achievement, and we’re incredibly grateful for your commitment to making this event so special.

And the Winners Are…

After two days of hiking, incidents and plenty of teamwork, it was time to find out who would take home the Thunderbird Trophy!

A massive congratulations to Team Cowbyers from 1st Winlaton Scout Group, who were crowned our Thunderbird 2026 winners!

Of course, Thunderbird isn’t just about winning. Every team should be proud of what they achieved over the weekend, and it was fantastic to see so much enthusiasm, determination and teamwork from everyone taking part.

Thank You!

A huge thank you to all the leaders, Explorer Scouts and volunteers who helped make Thunderbird 2026 possible. From planning the routes and running incidents to supporting the teams throughout the weekend, we couldn’t do it without you!

And once again, a very special thank you to Howard for reaching his remarkable 50th Thunderbird.

The original Thunderbird Scout Competition has been part of our district since 1963, and it’s fantastic to see this much-loved tradition continuing to inspire new generations of Scouts.

Here’s to another brilliant Thunderbird weekend — and many more adventures to come!

📸 Want to see more from the weekend? Take a look at our full Thunderbird 2026 photo gallery.

🏕️ Want to learn more about Thunderbird? Discover the history of the original Thunderbird Scout Competition.