Trip to London

Mr Renton, Mr Braid and pupils embarked on a journey to England’s capital city to absorb and follow the culture and history that the capital offers. On the drive to the capital Mr Renton highlighted the landmarks and points of interest to the pupils.

 On arrival in London we parked the vehicle in Shepherds Bush. Staff and pupils used the most famous transport system in the world, the London Underground. The selected destination was the embankment, where the pupils observed the views on offer from the bridge across the River Thames. Walking amongst the vast crowds alongside the German Market, the pupils saw the heights of London Eye and Big Ben.

The tour continued onwards past the Houses of Parliament and Parliament Square with pupils casting an eye upon Horse Guards Parade. The pupils and care staff observed the changing of the guards and them completing their individual duties. Staff and pupils ambled through St James Garden, paying great attention to the mammoth amount of wild life on view. One of the pupils passed comment that the grey squirrels of the park were well trained, due to them running so close to the public seeking food.

As a group we continued on the lookout for educational landmarks. We observed a horse drawn carriage coming out of St James Palace, which we followed down the Mall to its destination at Buckingham Palace. Above Buckingham Palace a Union Jack was flying at full mast indicating HRH was in residence. The pupils noticed the high level of security present with guards at all points of the Palace.

After observing the prestige venue of Buckingham Palace, the journey continued with a walk through Green Park where we returned to the London Underground to continue our journey to Leicester Square. When arriving at Leicester Square the pupils were immediately flabbergasted by the bizarre lights and the chaotic population of the inner city. During our stint in Leicester Square the pupils visited the biggest M&M store in the world and stood for memory book snaps in front of figurines.

With the bellies rumbling of both pupils and staff, Mr Braid emphasised the vast cultural food on offer around the inner city to the tour party. The tour party stood and discussed the options and decided to seek out the famous venue of China Town. The pupils were allocated a budget and selected a cultural meal of “all you can eat” Chinese buffet.

After the consumption of this meal, both staff and pupils leapt on a train bound for Hyde Park, where one of the world’s largest festive Winter Wonderland events was available to visit. During this the pupils and staff had free access to the some of the most thrilling and spine shivering fun fair rides on offer in the UK.

With the experience complete, staff and students made their way back to the underground, to begin the long journey back to Coln House School. Overall, the experience had been enjoyed by everyone, and the conversation on the way home relived many of the best moments. The behaviour on the trip was outstanding and all involved gained a lot educationally from the trip.