Geography Department

Geography in action...

Annus Mirabilis!

Geographers have been out and about again this year, seeing Geography in action. Year 9 visited Ambleside to assess the impact of tourism in the Lake District, whilst Year 12 discovered hidden gems in Manchester and studied the multicultural society that makes up Cheetham Hill. The Christmas markets attracted Year 11 whilst they were studying Manchester’s urban change, and Year 13 attended a Plate Tectonics conference. Year 10 also visited Ambleside, on a very sunny April day, and Year 7 have just had an interesting and relaxing trip to Formby to learn about the management of the sand dunes and to spot the red squirrels. The highlight of

Year 9 enjoyed the October sunshine when they visited Ambleside to conduct a traffic count. Year 12 discovering regenerated areas of Manchester city centre. the year for some intrepid Geographers, was the opportunity to travel around the northern tip of Cuba. The highlights were the Eco- village of Las Terrazas, the colonial hotel of Havana, Che Guevara’s mausoleum in Santa Clara, Hemingway’s home in a Havana suburb and dipping toes in the clear blue Caribbean Sea.

CLASSICS DEPARTMENT

The Classics Department has had its usual round of trips this year beginning as usual in September with the Year 7 trips to Manchester. We studied the various forms of neoclassical architecture as we walked through the city to the Art Gallery; here our ‘culture-vulture’ Year 7s observed the classical themes and subject matter in Renaissance paintings and enjoyed the vivid vitality of the Chariot Race painting. The Year 11 Classics students enjoyed a similar trip but went further afield, to London, to take in the classical treasures of the British Museum, including the Elgin Marbles of which the British are still the current proprietors. We also enjoyed the exquisite classically themed paintings and neoclassical architecture of the National Gallery. Year 9 ventured to ‘Eboracum’ at a time of year when Christmas decorations enhance the already stunning beauty of one of England’s most visited cities. The Minster is particularly alluring at Christmas and the remains of the Principia underneath the more recent structure are a reminder that some of our cities would not be what they are today without the Roman invasion and subsequent Roman influence. We joined with the Art and History Departments for a series of seminars on ‘Democracy through the ages’, no doubt inspired by the election and the general politically febrile atmosphere generated by the succession of voting opportunities being offered by referendums. We ended the series with a visit to the People’s History Museum. Meanwhile Miss Frazer was keeping some Year 7 and 8 girls busy in the Classical Society making Roman-style mosaics; they seemed to get more elaborate as the year progressed. I’m sure the Greek vases and Roman mosaics our girls have made over the years would give the ancient craftsmen a run for their money. All in all another ‘annus mirabilis’ for Bolton Girls’ Classics Department.