On Tuesday 5th July, 4 teachers and 12 members of the School Council went on a trip to London. This was to reward all their hard work representing their classes and the school over the academic year, and to back up learning in Citizenship and British values.

It was an early start –  6am on the minibus to Newcastle! Then the 6.55 am train to London, which arrived in Kings Cross at 10am. Packed breakfasts were eaten and the staff hoped for a quiet snooze. Not a chance! The children entertained us all the way down.

On arrival in London, we all caught taxis to Westminster. Here, our first glimpse of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. We toured Westminster Cathedral which was where William and Kate were married. Apparently there are over 3500 people buried there, including 30 kings and queens. We saw the tombs of Elizabeth 1 and Mary, her sister, and also Henry V11. The Coronation throne was viewed through its glass panel, and was much appreciated. Poets Corner saw the tombs of Ted Hughes and Charles Dickens amongst many others. The children oohed and aahed their way around this splendid piece of architecture. It was very busy, but we were amazed by what we saw and learned.

After this, a brisk walk up to Trafalgar Square where we ate a McDonalds lunch, watching out for the pigeons! Then another walk back to Westminster bridge, taking in Downing Street and the Cenotaph as well as the horses at the Horseguards Parade.

On the other side of the bridge, we viewed the London Eye and then went to the London Dungeon! Scary or not! It was thoroughly enjoyed by the children who graded it as ‘Cool’, which was just as well as Miss Chipchase treated us all to an ice cream afterwards.

The weather held and it was a beautiful hot day. After buying a souvenir Parliament teddy, we piled into taxis again, asking the driver to take us back to Kings Cross using a scenic route. This enabled us to be proper tourists and we saw Trafalgar Square (again), Nelson’s Column, the Mall, The Palace, Fleet Street and many other London sights.

Would they snooze on the way back? Not a chance! So finally, at 10pm, twelve tired pupils and four tired teachers arrived back at Harton. It was a great day and enjoyed by the staff and pupils alike. What an amazing place London is. It’s just a pity we can’t take the whole school!