2009
12.21
The end of term Christmas party on Thursday 17th December had been an eagerly awaited event and our allocation of some 300 tickets was fully subscribed in advance. Perhaps this is not surprising as the venue was the world famous Ministry of Sound!
For some days now there has been a strong festive spirit in the School and this reached a crescendo by Thursday evening. It also helped the party spirit when snow suddenly started to fall, making London look quite magical.
The Ministry of Sound hosts world famous DJ’s and last night the venue lived up to its reputation. From the moment it opened its doors at 10pm the music was brilliant. Our students were soon leading the way and it was great to see so many people enjoying themselves. Emerging afterwards into a snowy London made the evening slightly surreal and even more remarkable. Our students certainly bought the EC London term to a very enjoyable and memorable end.
Photos to follow….
Written by Geoff
2009
12.21
Sunday 13th December was the day designated for our visit to Camden Market via the Regents Park canal. It was a good thing that we had anticipated chilly weather, as it was cold when we met at Warwick Avenue Tube although a pale wintery blue sky helped the festive atmosphere. We walked quickly across to Paddington Basin where the canal boat awaited us and before long we were on our way. The canal winds along some very pretty parts of London and in the 45 minute trip we passed through some very expensive parts of Maida Vale and St John’s Wood before entering the edge of Regents Park itself. Our route then took us through to Camden Town and at Camden Lock we disembarked directly into the market area.
This is one of the most famous market areas in London (and among the most famous in the UK) and there are literally hundreds of stalls selling everything from clothes to exotic gifts. They provided lots of opportunities for Christmas shopping and personal shopping. The food stalls were also a great attraction and a welcome part of our trip. Finally, we managed to find somewhere to sit down, have a drink, relax, show each other what we had bought and get some warmth returned to our feet and hands.
There were a number of comments that this was definitely a trip to repeat.
Written by Geoff
2009
12.21
Sunday 6th December was set for our trip to Cambridge and by 9am I had received 3 calls querying if the trip was still going ahead. London was suffering a major rain storm! However the forecast had been encouraging and by the time the 10 of us met at the School ………..a pale blue, cold, wintery sky rewarded our perseverance. On arrival by train in Cambridge we walked leisurely through the town centre and then along Kings Road to look at King’s College (founded in 1441) and the medieval architecture of the other college buildings. We walked on the Millpond area and after a warming lunch eaten on the historic bridge we decided to brave the elements and go punting! There were very few other people on the River Cam and it was just as well that we were given blankets to keep us warm. It was lovely to go along the backs of all the famous colleges and to see them from such a serene perspective.
When we finished, warm drinks were needed and we headed to Market Square where the famous Christmas Fair was being held. The goods on offer were too nice to resist and we enjoyed shopping among the stalls. A trip to the town’s famous fudge shop completed our treats and it wasn’t until very late afternoon that we made our way back to the station. It had been a very full and rewarding day with some good friendships struck up amongst the group.
Written by Geoff
