Looking back on London 2015
As documented on this site last month some of our senior pupils visited London and took part in a wide range of tourist and educational activities. One of the group, Kristin Russell-Rickards, has kindly written a reflective piece on the trip as well as sharing some of the photos that she took:
On Friday the 13th November, I along with 29 other S5/6 students and four members of staff embarked on a 16 hour coach trip to London. Upon arrival in London at 9am the next morning, we began with a visit to the Warner Bros Harry Potter Studio Tour. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the magical sets, props and costumes that were used during the filming of the movies: from the set of the Great Hall down to learning how the costumes were created.
Our accommodation was around twenty minutes from the centre of London. There was an ice rink nearby – where we enjoyed ice skating and the arcade. After breakfast at the accommodation, Sunday was kick started by the London Dungeons; a brilliant attraction (where even our brave trip leader Mr Mackintosh may have let out an uncharacteristic scream).
After spending the morning learning about London’s dark and dismal past, we got to relax on the Southbank for lunch; enjoying street performers and taking in the sights. We were then off to an afternoon showing of The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre where we were entertained immensely, proving to everyone that it really was as good as the reviews had promised.
Finally, a night-time ride on the London Eye gave everyone a spectacular view of London lit up, allowing us to see landmarks such as Wembley Stadium and The Shard. We then enjoyed another round of ice skating on the Christmas Coca-Cola rink at the foot of the London Eye which brought our last full day to a close.
The final day was spent having a tour of Westminster, where we set foot in the debating chambers of the Houses of Lords and Commons, along with visiting Westminster Hall and having a workshop on debating; thereby tying in with our Modern Studies course. Some retail therapy at Harrods brought our weekend in London to a close on a high note ahead of our lengthy journey back to Caithness.
We all had a wonderful time, gaining experiences that may not have been possible if it weren’t for the trip. A massive thanks goes from the students to the staff that planned, organised and supervised the trip – Mr Mackintosh, Mrs Swanson, Mrs Matthews and Mr Tillier.
