Hello Reachers! We have reached the end of our first week of classes and you know what that means – Excursion Day! Today we started our morning bright and early with breakfast at our respective college dining halls. Every student was eager to get their plateful knowing the day ahead would be filled with adventure! Once breakfast ended, we made our way to the couch to begin our long drive to the first location, Stratford-upon-Avon! Talking and chatter could be heard all over the couch as students were excited to be able to venture around a new city! At Stratford, one of our supervisors who is a local here gave a fabulous walking tour around the town! Locations like Shakespeare’s birthplace, school, the Holy Trinity Church and the Theatre were on the list! It was such a fun and interactive walking tour. Meanwhile in the city, others had the chance to explore freely and get themselves a lunch of their choosing – I personally went to a quaint market that had fresh vegetables, pastries and jewellery stalls! The cakes were remarkable – I’d recommend trying the cardamon twist at the local cafes!
Your’s truly in the gallows!!
After lunch, students came back to our meeting point right by the river for a quick register and toilet break before making our way to the final location – Warwick Castle! Only a 20 minute drive or so and we were transported to a dream-like renaissance castle filled with fantasy and charm, as well as a ton of history, as our very own Henry VIII once lived there! Students were free to roam and explore the grounds of the castle including: the horrible history maze, ZOG playground, castle rooms, and of course, the remarkable shows Warwick Castle has to offer! The first show we watched was the ‘War of the Roses’ jousting and reenactment! Knights in shining armour and horses racing down the path as we cheered in unison! It was an incredible show from the staff at Warwick, giving their all in a convincing sword fighting performance and doing amazing stunts on horseback. I will admit, I may have fallen in love with a knight.
After what seemed like the best part of this trip, we swiftly moved on to the real showstopper – the Falcon’s Quest! It was such an incredible array of birds of prey including ginormous vultures, eagles, falcons and even an eagle owl! Every student was stunned by the closeness we got to see the birds, with the trainers making them swoop down low right above our heads! I personally had to duck down a fair few times, as well as many other students and staff! Getting such a close look at these magnificent birds, we really get to learn more about how amazing our planet is. Some of these birds we learnt are actually critically endangered, only goes to show what we can all work towards to protect and save these beautiful creatures! Once the show ended, we headed back to the couch for our drive back to Cambridge for a chill and relaxing evening. On the couch, many students were taking this journey as an opportunity to rest, talk about the day, or even some were playing card games together. It’s so lovely to see how close these students have become even when some are from completely different cultures and backgrounds – only makes us more excited to see how their bond will grow over the next week!
Written By Mel
