Visits & Exchanges

The Morocco Trek

The High Atlas, the greatest mountain range of North Africa, is a most beautiful part of Morocco. It has retained a remoteness that many of us rarely experience, and contains villages where the way of life has changed little for centuries.

With the potential to be permanently connected to technology it is rare to find such a large group of young people so disconnected from the virtual world. However, that is exactly what I observed during our ten days in Morocco. We had a group of forty young people from St Peter’s more present in the real world, and enjoying the beauty and culture of Morocco.

If there is one reason for you to join the fourth form trip to Morocco it is to allow yourself the opportunity to enjoy the magnificence of the landscapes, and the hospitality of the berber people, without the distraction of your mobile phone.

Our four day trek in the High Atlas brings us into close contact with the berbers. The local children come running from their houses, to greet us as we move through their villages, as their parents and grandparents observe from the darkness behind the ornate metal window covers.

We trekked for three days on foot, over rough and mountainous terrain. We once again had the good fortune to be accompanied on our trek by Jamal and Aziz, who guided us through the mountains, as well as teaching us about the berber

Visits and Exchanges

customs and traditions. We also had the support of a trekking crew, including our great cooks, and our muleteers, and the mules who carried the group equipment and our personal belongings. Our trekking days involved 5 to 8 hours walking including a lunch stop. You are free to walk at your own pace and there is time to rest, relax and meet the local people, learning something of their lifestyle and cultures.

Whilst in the High Atlas we experienced Four Seasons In One Day, with the weather going from one extreme to the next. The conditions and terrain were similarly challenging, but a great sense of achievement was evident amongst the group at the end of the trek.

The time spent in the village of Imelghas was for many the highlight of the trip. The St Peter’s football team were victorious, having been beaten in the previous two years. The day spent with the families involved, for some, a full day’s work with a pick and shovel and a variety of other household chores.

While in the village we had the opportunity to see the results of our fundraising at St Peter’s over the last two years. The money raised by the 2012 group paid for the foundations and the walls of the new women’s craft centre, and the 2013 funds will pay for the majority of the windows and the roof. The building will give the women a base from which they can generate a sustainable income for the village. It was also a pleasure to meet Ilias and Fatima, who will receive part of the money raised by the 2013 group, to help with their education.

The few days at the end of the trip provided time to relax, with the surfing in Essaouira, and some sightseeing and shopping in Marrakech being the highlights.

The trip gave us all a chance to learn about other cultures and people, by simply spending time with them. I believe that this is a good way to build understanding, trust and a sense of community. The trip was also great fun. The 2013 group were a pleasure to be with.

April 2013 Itinerary

1st: Arrival in Marrakech Transfer to Hotel El Andalous.

2nd: Depart for Agouti 5 hrs of coach travel including a stop for lunch at Azilal, visit Cascades D’ouzoud en route. Start the trek at Abachkou- night in camp.

3rd: Abachkou to Roughelt (5 hrs trek)

4th: Roughelt- Tafnefant (4 - 5 hrs trek)

5th: Tafnefant to Imelghas (5 hrs trek- Gite)

6th: Berber family visit in Imelghas, Lunch with families & night in gite

7th: Transfer to Essaouira - Hotel Miramar 5 hrs to Marrakech, and then 2.5 hrs onto Essaouira.

8th: Essaouira Surfing, beach time and shopping in the souks

9th: Depart for Marrakech in morning Afternoon at Oasiria water park

10th: Guided tour of Medina and the Jemaa el Fna Shopping and pool time Depart in evening

Mr J Whitehouse

Arran

On a cold and windy June morning the L6th geographers assembled at the pavilion. With the boys sporting their ‘Arran Lads’ beaters for their 7 hour coach and ferry journey ahead of them. Emotions were mixed of the week ahead, people worried about the ever present threat of midges in Arran, whilst others were more focused on meeting the GSAL girls (Scholey), by the end of the trip most of them knew how heavy a polar bear was.

After a coach journey of watching Gladiator and the Incredibles we entered Scotland and were welcomed by torrential rain, the beaters didn’t seem like the best idea at the moment. But this didn’t stop Jake and Will posing for a titanic shot at the front of the ferry, to the amusement of the girls and the passengers boarding. A few group photos later and after a rough crossing; (where Mr Allan was soaked by a stray wave) we arrived in Arran. After another coach journey filled with sing alongs to Wonderwall and Jerusalem we arrived at the Loch Ranza centre to see our accommodation for the next few weeks. Where the boys were surprised to find a more ‘open plan’ style of rooms.

After settling into our accommodation we were shown round the centre and introduced to legend that was Chea (or Jeff), with his handshakes for geography knowledge and Kate who talked us through the hours of geography that we were all looking forward to over the next few days and let’s not forget the classroom sessions till eight o’clock in the evening!

Over the next few days we worked on developing our geographical skills to start the investigation along the stretch of beach from Catacol Bay to Loch Ranza. Where we looked at the effects of long shore drift on pebble size and roundness but also measured the slope changes that occurred down the beaching through levelling. Many granite pebbles and classroom sessions later the bulk of investigation was completed. The next day consisted of a trip King’s Cave where we look at the historical carving in the cave that had being there for hundreds of years and to look at the surrounding landforms and the coastal management that had being implemented along Blackwaterfoot. Where we all managed to get

Kate, Mr Allen, Mrs Ullstein and The Driver to ‘GIVE US A WAVE!’ on the journey there.

The last two days consisted of a soil and river investigation where we looked at the trends of river velocity, depth, size and shape in the lower and middle course of the river flowing into Loch Ranza. A mention has to go to Dan Stone for falling in within seconds of entering the river. The afternoon soil sampling investigated the changes of soil consistency up and along the valley in Loch Ranza and the factors that influenced this from the saltmarsh to the valley slopes. The whole group had to place on their midge nets and walked into the surrounding swarm. It’s fair to say a number of people were bitten on the trip, which wasn’t helped by Jake deciding to open the window on the first day! The final day was taken up by a trip around the island for a human geography survey to assess the sustainability and ruralness of the settlements and a trip to one of Brodick’s many fish and chip shops to try the renowned deep fried mars bar. Which put many off the feast in the pub later that night. Except for Oli Spearman who claimed that the room was spinning after his one pint.

A few highlights of the trip have to be:-

Jake dominating GSAL in the arm wrestling it seems that two people at once aren’t enough to beat him!

Rob Hulmes managing to overcome his night terrors!

Harley Shaw’s turrets of constantly saying ‘CAKEY SPRINKLES!’

Shahad being able to fit into a suitcase!

James Downie’s sudden outburst at Will Catchpole for cheating in ping pong,

and mine, Ollie Smith and Jake’s spot of eight deer and seal on one of our pre-geoggers runs.

Marco Gaias LVI

Salamanca, a fond farewell.

The final Spanish study trip to Salamanca did not begin all that well as we left York at 10.00am on Sunday 24th March in arctic conditions driving a minibus that looked like the site of T in the park, after the revellers have left, and probably had less than a 50/50 chance of getting through an MOT. Fortunately the drive down to Luton passed without incident and the flight was just as uneventful. We arrived in Madrid on time and were immediately greeted by Patricia and Pedro, our bus driver, and set off for Salamanca. The weather was cold but dry as we drove for three hours to meet our host families who were waiting, wrapped up in scarves and hats, to escort us to our homes for the week.

The next morning was dry but slightly chillier than expected and classes started at 9.00am where the students were left in the capable hand of their teachers for the week: Hester and Maria, who they would be seeing for 4 hours every day for the next 5 days. After the first day’s classes we managed to explore the local area and discovered a city rather like York which had the special feel of a modern university town superimposed on a tapestry of Gothic and Romanesque architecture. There was of course the impressive style of the old University courtyards and classrooms but there was also the incessant succession of strollers and the many groups of language learners from all parts of the world who can be seen in Salamanca throughout the entire year. Unfortunately, in the midst of all of this, the sun decided to take a week’s holiday and sent in the rain in to act as its substitute which remained with us for the entire week.

Fortunately the weather had little influence on the activities and as well as spending time in La Plaza Mayor between rain breaks there were many trips including: visits to the Cathedrals to look for “la Rana de Salamanca”, the Universities where we saw the walls marked with the legacies of students, who, upon graduation, have written their initials in an ink made from bull’s blood and olive oil. We also had memorable day learning about the history, philosophy and techniques used in bullfighting. The teacher was an ex torero who gave a fascinating insight into the reasons why he believes bullfighting to be a noble sport which is often alienated by being perceived as a cruel and senseless bloodbath. He also brought along the tools of his trade and we were able to get up close and personal with some serious hardware that we tested out on our improvised, Yorkshire bulls (image above).

We had lunch and dinner on most of the days with our families, the majority of the group seemed to enjoy the meals provided as they were given a variety of Spanish cuisine. For the majority of the students this was a positive experience although there were one or two incidents: a strange accusation of a novel way to “press” a T shirt under a mattress and some enlightening instruction on the proper way to open (or not) doors. On the whole it was a positive experience for most of the pupils and in Mrs Houghton’s case she learned three words that she will never forget; luz, agua and puerta. We did try to sample the local ‘vida nocturna’ when we ventured out for a special meal on our final evening but the Spanish work on a different body clock so while they were getting ready to go out we were already tucked up with teddy (apart from the few who sneaked out that is).

One could say that there were many highlights on this holiday: the usefulness of the classes, the exposure to the language or the first-hand experience of Spanish history and culture with the Semana Santa celebrations but I would be inclined to say that the constant that we find in Spanish society is the welcoming nature of a genuinely charming race of people.

Thanks go to Mrs Houghton and the students for their participation and good humour, despite the rain, throughout the week.

Mr MJ Duffy

Hadrian’s Wall Report

4pm, Wednesday 12th June. Destination: The Border.

With both mini buses packed and some threatening clouds looming overhead, we left St Peter’s, destined for the iconic remains which run the width of the country: Hadrian’s Wall.

After two and a half hours of driving through picturesque countryside, we arrived at our trusty base camp of Ninebanks Youth Hostel. Fed and watered, we then retired to bed ahead of an eventful day.

The troops awoke fresh-faced and raring to go. Breakfast was devoured in minutes, beds were stripped, bags packed, and by 9am we were on the windy roads to our first site. We arrived promptly at Vindolanda, the Roman fort and settlement where live excavations have been taking place for the past century, and artefacts are still being found on a daily basis. As ever, we were lucky enough to meet one of the archaeologists, Justin, whose passionate and enlightening talk brought to life some of the site’s most fascinating finds. Pieces of pottery, shoes, coins and bones were just a few of the recent finds, but most memorable of all were the letters, including an invitation to a birthday party, a shopping list and an urgent request for more beer on the frontier!

After some further exploration of the site and its fantastic museum, we squeezed back onto the buses and headed to our next destination, the Roman Army Museum, where we explored a plethora of Roman armour and weapons, and were then treated to a lesson from a holographic Roman teacher. After a hasty lunch overlooking some stunning views of the Wall, we then set off for our return journey from the very edges of the Ancient Roman Empire.

Mr J Connor

Music tour to New York

5.30 am on Monday morning revealed an excited group of Peterites, ready to take on New York! After a long coach journey and flight we were greeted by our over enthusiastic Israeli-American tour guide Avi, bombarded with congratulatory comments about our new royal baby and surrounded by TV screens displaying the baby’s predicted height, eye colour and name. After meeting our coach driver, Louie, we headed to Puglia’s Restaurant in Little Italy. The evening revealed a little more noise (music?) than anticipated, featuring a dynamic duo destroying some classics and their own infamous ‘napkin song’ which Mr Wright was a particular fan of! Sarah Carlton’s dancing (winning her a NY T-shirt) is also worth a mention. After this 29 hour day we were pleased to see our beds at our hotel in New Jersey.

A great way to start the trip was to view the entirety of New York from the 84th floor of the Empire State building. A sight that none of us will be forgetting any time soon! After a rehearsal at Grace Church we visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art. What we saw of the museum was impressive but it may have been nice to stay a little longer… suffice to say this could apply to the whole trip! In the evening at the Hard Rock Café we reenacted ‘Man vs. Food’ with a selection of highly calorific meals, revealed by the grotesque figures indicated by each choice! We attempted to walk off the meal with a stroll through Central Park before returning to the hotel.

Wednesday began with a moving visit to the 9/11 Memorial, followed by a concert at Trinity Church, which was warmly received with encouraging feedback. Lunch proved interesting with rather dubiously coloured green, black, orange and purple coloured wraps. During this break Izzy Hall got pulled into an adrenaline filled street act with the performers executing backflips over and around their selected victims. Due to the tight schedule Izzy was then rescued by her saviour… Her Dad. We then moved on to the Statue of Liberty by boat. On arriving Charlie, Seb and Laura were greeted by an overexcited bird. It was a turning point on the tour when the girls discovered the true meaning of American portion sizes when they were given an English XXL ice cream when asking for a ‘small’. The day was rounded up with a meal at Planet Hollywood followed by free time in Times Square.

Thursday morning saw the girls (and some guys…) get their wish with free time at the Manhattan mall and a visit to Macy’s. After this session it was clear that American fashion had infiltrated into our English culture with a craze of snap-back caps. We then moved onto the Intrepid (the famous aircraft carrier) for our second concert with a more chilled atmosphere, in both the music and the weather conditions. Unfortunately the last item had to be cut due to a lost battle against a sound check for a rock concert for that evening on a nearby pier. We continued onto Dallas Barbecue

where Sarah’s birthday was celebrated with a song, a piece of ‘cake’ that had featured previously in our main course and of course gigantic portions! One of our favourite moments was seeing the night-time New York skyline. We don’t want to sound too cliché, but it was an unbelievable sight. York doesn’t quite compete!

Friday= Leisure day, to the delight of everyone, especially the staff! This included swimming, tanning and gym sessions at a nearby hotel. In the afternoon we visited and performed at the Liberty Science Centre and museum. This was challenging as we had a moving audience. After looking round the museum we returned to the hotel for pizza with a welcomed goodie bag from Avi. The evening was rounded off with a surprise bowling night organized by Mr MK. Chaos broke out over confused shoe sizes in addition to Mr Grant’s destructive attempt to gain a strike.

Unfortunately we failed to acknowledge the small print of Mr MK’s bowling offer, resulting in an early morning practice in which the majority of the choir were mentally in bed. Following this surprisingly productive rehearsal we visited Radio City, in which rehearsals for ‘America’s Got Talent’ were taking place for that evening. After another colourful packed lunch we performed at Grace Church with an enjoyable concert. Our last dinner in New York was at the lively setting of Ellen’s Stardust (famous for the singing waiting staff). The creative twitter posts, displayed to all the diners on large TV screens by Bill and Guy were well received by the group, especially the staff! A further highlight was a waiter who took a particular liking to Hannah and Tilly, serenading them whilst they ate.

We finished on a high with our Sunday morning Eucharist at St Thomas’ with a large congregation combined with a great acoustic and fantastic singing. After the service we said some goodbyes to a few who were staying in America, and were given a little free time along Fifth Avenue before departing for JFK.

The most surprising aspect of the tour was Mr MK’s new found addiction to Dunkin’ Donuts, and safe to say all of us will be craving vegetables for many weeks! Finally, we just need to add a huge thanks to the staff team of Miss Ullstein, Miss Barker, Mr and Mrs MK, Mr Grant, Mr Hall and Mr Wright for making the tour so special. We couldn’t think of a better way to finish our time at St Peters, and we wish the entire music department the best of luck for the future.

Nick McLeish, Emily Scanu and Rebecca Widdicombe UVI

2012 History Trip to Krakow:

27 October – 31 October 2012

The chief importance of Mr Trevett’s neatly balanced and enjoyable history trip to Krakow lay in the featured all-inclusive tour of Auschwitz on 28 October 2012, where both pupil and teacher shared a vivid educational experience in uncovering details of the greatest recorded atrocity in human history. For any historian at any stage of learning Auschwitz will always be a great focal point. As well as being a site of interest in the context of the Final Solution in the 1940s, Auschwitz also epitomises the appeal of studying history: that events of the past have their yolk felt in the modern world, and that by understanding these events we can better understand ourselves in this time. Particular examples of this in relation to Auschwitz range from the ethnic map of Europe, to Zionism and troubles in the West Bank.

This tour was widely regarded as a phenomenal and priceless experience, adding vivid focus to what we had already learnt about Auschwitz and the mechanisms of Holocaust slaughter. Its importance was emphasised through being the first of the many sights we were to see, occurring the day after our flight from Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

However, the well-orchestrated balance of the tour swiftly enabled us to be immediately liberated from the more traumatic experiences of Auschwitz, as we progressed over the subsequent days on various tours of the city of Krakow, and its outskirts and surrounding countryside.

On 29 October, our first tours of Krakow gave context to the Auschwitz atrocities by providing us with detailed glimpses of Jewish culture; specifically food, music and worship. We visited a local synagogue and graveyard. This was accompanied by a tour of the Schindler Factory. Here we experienced first-hand the working conditions of Jewish labourers and grew in our understanding of Oscar Schindler’s humanitarian work during the War in rescuing thousands of Jews from the gas chambers. Originally this started out as a means of procuring cheap labour, but as Schindler’s relationship with the Jews of Krakow developed, so too did his sense of duty toward them. He consistently acted in abuse of the law of the land as laid down by the Nazis – Schindler himself was a party member – committing crimes of bribery and treason that not only cost him millions of marks to sustain, but that also would have incurred the death sentence. Schindler could well have joined his Jewish workers and friends in the ghettos and extermination camps.

The subsequent tours from 30 October were centred on Krakow itself, specifically the medieval market place. This was laid out almost amphitheatrically, with bars, restaurants, cathedrals and chapels forming the perimeter. At the centre was the main market building with nothing but empty space and cobbled paving between it and the wall of houses boxing us in. This formed our base for the inner city tours. The nucleus of the city, it featured lanes and side streets leading out from it that were easily navigable and led inevitably to a MacDonald’s or Burger King.

We were given the opportunity to freely explore the market place during leisure hours, and seek food for ourselves down the alleyways leading from the market place, and in the square itself. Whilst this gave us licence to explore Polish culture of the modern day, subsequent tours of the infamous and aforementioned cathedrals of the inner city displayed Polish high culture in the medieval and baroque periods, and during the renaissance. One example of this was the Royal Chambers of Wawel Castle and accompanying cathedral, with stunning although vulgarly imposing and overly grandiose architecture. This was home to the great Polish monarchs and was commissioned by Casimir the Great.

Our next tour on the same day took us yet further back in time. We dived deep into the earth for our tour of the Wieliczka Salt Mine, and returned above ground utterly stunned at the courage and industry that originally inspired this great tourist attraction: all in the name of table salt in the 13th century. Features of the mine include underground bungee jumping and museum exhibitions. The mine also has its very own parish priest who performs masses and wedding ceremonies in the mine’s chapel, 300 metres underground.

Sticking with the theme of underground exploration of the past, the next day on 31 October we returned to the beauty of the main market square for a visit of the underground museum there. This took us back in time further still, and through the history of the city’s conception, including the original foundation stones of the building that housed the museum foyer. This meant – because of loose Polish Health and Safety regulations - we were free to roam the streets of Krakow at the level they would have been centuries ago.

More leisure time at the end of the day, and for many a return to the Polish editions of international fast-food chains, crowned what had been a thoroughly enjoyable trip.

We returned to York dreary eyed from a long return journey, but better educated and more rounded individuals: teachers and pupils alike.

Thanks from all who went must first go to Mr Trevett for organising and leading the trip. It was perfectly balanced between serious historical exploration and learning, and relaxation in hotel rooms or on the streets of Krakow. This was necessary considering the cultural sensitivity of many of the sites on the itinerary and gave much-needed respite from some of the earlier starts and longer days.

We must also thank Miss Barker, Mrs Hempsall, Miss Zasada, and the late Dr Whittaker for accompanying Mr Trevett on the trip. Their service was invaluable in logistical and educational roles, and in maintaining Mr T’s sanity throughout.

And last but by no means least; I wish to convey a heartfelt message of gratitude to our adventurous tour guide. This courageous, passionate man never failed in his perceived duty to drag us around every museum, synagogue and memorial in Krakow despite how the often relentless snow, wet pavements and consistently sub-zero temperatures must have been affecting his constitution.

Ben Turrill V

Politics Trip to Washington 2012

A group of fourteen Sixth Form A-level Politics students enjoyed a fabulous week in Washington DC during October half-term. During the stay we toured the White House and Congress and followed the penultimate stage of the Presidential Election.

The group was hosted by students at St Peter’s exchange school - Walt Whitman High in Bethesda - with Peterites spending a week living in American homes and a couple of days joining in lessons at the school. Once again we were very grateful to be welcomed so warmly by parents, students and teachers at the school who looked after us extremely well. I was particularly grateful to have the help and support of Mr and Mrs Dawson on the trip.

The highlights included a day on bikes touring the main Washington Monuments – with summer weather and an excellent guide from Walt Whitman – and visits to American football and baseball games at the school. The election race for the White House was in its closing stage, with Mitt Romney challenging Barack Obama. Students watched the final head to head TV debate with their hosts and soaked up the electioneering atmosphere. later lost power, schools were closed for two days and the main Washington sights shut down. After a bumpy ride on our internal flight from Washington to Alabama we were relieved to get back to the UK just before the storm struck.

This is a uniquely valuable trip and cultural exchange. As well as gaining insights into US Politics at the height of the election campaign, the time spent with American students and families helps students understand what’s motivating them politically.

Sadly, with Super Storm Sandy brewing we had to re-arrange our flights to leave early. Many homes where we had been staying Mr B Fuller

Reporting live from the 2012 Presidential Election:

Felicity Halstead:

Arriving in Washington to start our exchange a pressing question was the political allegiance of our hosts at the upcoming presidential election. A recent YouGov poll of seven European nations (including the UK) found that in each country more than 90 per cent of those questioned would back Barack Obama over Mitt Romney. Amongst my A-level Politics group, the figure would be closer to 100 per cent. We were, therefore, relieved to discover that at our sister school, Walt Whitman High in the Washington suburb of Bethesda, support for Obama was much higher than that for Romney. Indeed, as my host explained as we drove past a Romney-Ryan poster on someone’s front lawn near their house, ‘no one really speaks to them’.

Jamie Hatzel

This election race has been a vicious one. Both candidates have hit out hard against the other’s policies, and at times against their personal affairs - and yet the curious thing is that their policies are extremely similar: both want a strong military, both want to improve education, both want to push for energy independence, and both want to promote the growth of small businesses and key employers in the USA. The real debate comes down to economic policy. Obama promised change for all Americans when he got elected in 2008, and yet he has failed to deliver on that count as economic growth remains almost stagnant, and unemployment, particularly among the young, remains high.

In short, Americans have a choice between significant budget shortfalls in federal services like the disaster service FEMA, to which budget cuts would have been devastating during Hurricane Sandy, or a burgeoning federal debt that could threaten America’s economic status in the future. They must also question whether they can trust either candidate: Romney has flip-flopped from the far-right to the centre during his campaign to appeal to whoever’s vote matters most, and seems only to care about winning power. Obama has entirely failed to deliver the kind of change and hope that he promised in 2008, although he was hamstrung by a Republican-dominated Congress, and voters will be wondering whether it is time for a change of a different kind.

The return visit: the Americans land

Early summer is a great time to be in Yorkshire – sun shining on the city’s stone and our beautiful countryside – and to be at St Peter’s, as the end of term approaches and exams are over. We know this and so do Walt Whitman High School – every second summer they come to visit for ten days on the return leg of our exchange trip.

A sleepy group of St Peter’s Sixth Formers gathered in the dining room one Monday morning at the end of June to meet their even more tired American guests, just landed from an overnight flight. But in the excitement of meeting old friends from our visit to Washington the previous Autumn – and some new ones too – exhaustion was soon forgotten as we set out to explore York.

We set a cracking pace, which was maintained for the next nine days as we planned to show our American guests as much of the UK and Yorkshire as possible.

Jonny Bell and his family generously organised a boat trip off the coast from Whitby and a superb BBQ at their home in Ruswarp – a relaxed end to a lovely day on the Moors. Back in York the next day the American students spent a morning in school and were involved in the Community Action project.

Returning to the countryside on another bright, sunny day Mr and Mrs Dawson led a walk for us from Helmsley to Rievaulx Abbey – with a talk from Mr Dawson on the health, management and fishing of the River Rye.

The pace then picked up with two busy days at opposite ends of the country. Friday saw a big group of over forty Peterites and Americans on the train to London for a long day of political and historic sightseeing and shopping. Then on Saturday we headed north to explore Durham and Newcastle – ending the day at the Theatre Royal for the D’Oyle Carte performance of Pirates of Penzance.

After two quieter days with host families, Felicity Halstead and her family kindly hosted all the British and American students to a farewell party in Bishopsthorpe.

On Tuesday morning it took a long time to get the American students on to the bus – accompanied by one last pack up as so many hugs and farewells had to be exchanged.

I’m very grateful to all those Peterites who acted as hosts – warm, helpful and hospitable – and to their parents who did so much to make the Americans welcome, organising events for them in the evenings and during family days and generally making sure everyone was in the right place at the right time!

I know many Peterites are already looking forward to Washington 2014!

Mr B Fuller

St Peter’s storm Downing Street

A group of over forty St Peter’s Politics students and American students here on the exchange enjoyed a packed day in London in late June.

Travelling by train (and tweeting as we went) the group headed to Parliament first. Being a Friday neither House was sitting and so we had an ‘access all areas’ tour. We were able to walk on to the floor of the House of Commons where ‘Prime Minister’ Harrison Medley (The Manor) and ‘Leader of the Opposition’ James MacMahon (Hope) took up their places at the dispatch boxes for a quick political exchange.

We then passed The Treasury and Foreign Office to Downing Street where we were allowed past the security gates to explore the street and be part of the comings and goings. We we even allowed out again, more easily than Andrew Mitchell!

From David Cameron’s house we travelled back in time to Winston Churchill’s office and the Cabinet War Rooms, deep underground – Churchill’s HQ during the Battle of Britain.

After shopping in Covent Garden we enjoyed supper together at PJ’s restaurant and caught a late train back to York.

Many thanks to all the staff who helped out on the day – particularly Mrs Bollands and Mr Gwilliam.

Mr B Fuller

4th form Design Museum Trip

On the 6th June 50 Design & Technology students in the fourth form spent the day in London, at the Design Museum, Butler’s Wharf.

This annual trip to London gives our students a chance to see what is being created by some of the most innovative designers from around the world. We had the chance to view two exciting exhibitions.

The Designs of the Year awards, ‘The Oscars of the design world’ showcase the most innovative and imaginative designs from around the world, over the past year, spanning seven categories: Architecture, Digital, Fashion, Furniture, Graphics, Transport and Product.

An exhibition entitled ‘Extraordinary Stories about ordinary things’ focused on key designs that have shaped the modern world. Six design stories offered a diverse look at design tracing the history and processes of contemporary design. The show included furniture, product, fashion, transport and architecture alongside a selection of prototypes, models and specially commissioned films.

A workshop run by the museum staff gave our students an opportunity to reflect on examples of sustainable design, with time spent sketching and analysing products, one of which was made from recycled chewing gum.

Mr J Whitehouse

LVI Art School visit to Edinburgh

The Art School’s January 2013 overnight trip to Edinburgh was eerie, exciting and thought-provoking.

Head of Art, John Darmody began the Edinburgh experience by capturing our imaginations with a moonlit tour around historic Greyfriars Graveyard. Assembling around dark, frosty gravestones he recounted gory tales of Burke & Hare’s bodysnatching crimes which had the Sixth formers clinging onto each other inbetween excited giggles and screams.

The following morning we visited Scottish artist John Bellany’s retrospective exhibition “A Passion for Life” which featured portraits, religious works, printmaking and his later Italian paintings. Pupils were encouraged to use their sketchbooks for research purposes and to discuss with the staff their thoughts on the works.

The afternoon took us to the BP Portrait award which was on tour from London, followed by a visit to The Scottish National Gallery where the pupils were given a special enlightening, educational talk from Ralph Hughes, who lectures at Fettes College. We received insights into Titian’s painterly techniques and iconography and pupils were able to wander freely enjoying the Scottish paintings and one of Rembrandt’s wonderful self-portraits.

Greyfriars Church yard – Ghostly tales of the Covenanters and Burke & Hare – all material for artistic ideas

Pupils’ thoughts on the trip

“Mr Darmody quietly told us a few scary stories and then suddenly screamed loud. It was so scary! And fun at the same time.”

“I really enjoyed the trip as it all was about art. We visited an exhibition with work of many different contemporary artists, where I personally found a lot of interesting pieces. I was particularly impressed by John Bellany’s art - the scale and the emotions of his paintings.”

“It was interesting to have a look not only at the actual painting but also at John Bellany’s sketches. We had a drawing session there trying out his technique.”

“It was my first time in Edinburgh and I really liked it. At the moment I’m working with gothic architecture for my art project so I tried to take a close look at every building. There are a lot of amazing churches and sculptures.”

Overall, this was a trip to remember – not just covering art galleries, but the culture, history and atmosphere around Edinburgh.

Mrs LM Birch

Girls’ Senior Hockey Tour to South Africa

So we were headed to South Africa and fundraising had begun. Once the money had been raised, the kit had to be designed. The main credit has to go to Ellie Fletcher for this, who after a group decision on which company to go with, put together several different designs from which we chose our final kit (which was extremely smart and professional).

Pre-tour training was not as easy to organise. With study leave and open days it was impossible to find a time to suit all of us. We were lucky enough to have the help of England U21 player, Abbie Brant during this time and her training and knowledge were insightful and really helped boost the team’s understanding and confidence. with our hosts laid back and friendly nature making things even more enjoyable. Our stay in Port Elizabeth consisted of a couple of windswept walks down the beach, and our first match.

The flight out to South Africa took off, and excitement was running high (however it shot through the roof when we saw our own personal TV screens and freebies!) After landing in Johannesburg we had a short wait for our connecting flight to Port Elizabeth, where we were to meet our hosts for the next two nights.

We were split into pairs to stay at our new host’s houses, and were all a bit nervous and apprehensive at the prospect of staying with a stranger. However we all settled in really quickly,

St Peter’s put up a very good fight against a strong Collegiate Girls’ High School first team right in the middle of their season. We were nervous coming out; all the girls were tall and very athletic looking. The pitch was surrounded by advertising of well-known brands and also huge floodlights, it looked serious! Although we worked hard and towards the end of the match were starting to gel, we were beaten 8-0.

The next stop on the tour was Kareiga Game Reserve. We briefly stopped off on the way at a beautiful beach in Kenton-On Sea, where we made the most of the warm weather and dived into the waves much to the shock of the South Africans who exclaimed that this was winter and it was cold! At this point we were blissfully unaware that we were to visit the same beach again the following day for a rigorous training session up the sand dunes. Whilst this was a welcome change to normal training it would be difficult to describe it as enjoyable!

On to the game reserve. This I have to say was the highlight of the tour for many of us. As we drove in we spotted Zebras and many types of Deer and a Vervet monkey sitting on the roof of the shop. The chalets we were staying in were luxurious, with the most stunning views. We were just meters away from Lions, Giraffes, Zebras and a two day old Elephant calf! Things I know I have only ever dreamed of seeing, without David Attenborough’s voice in the back ground. We were all sad to leave the game reserve, and also our guides Temba and Johan.

We pushed on to the next part of the tour where we stayed in Kynysa Log Inn. Mrs Brough found out about a scenic path through the forest, from our fountain of knowledge and humorous bus driver Robbie. We then got up and had an early morning run up this pretty path, before breakfast (much to our disgust).

Our second match was against Oakhill girls. This was a much closer fought game with the score being 2-1 to Oakhill right until the final 10 minutes, where our lack of fitness and struggle against the heat started to show. The final score was 4-1.

It was then a drive to Stellenbosch and a stay in the Stellenbosch Hotel. This was the first time we really got to see the impressive Dutch architecture evident in much of South Africa. We then drove to Stellenbosch University where we received a training session from Craig West, a South African coach. Craig kept stressing the importance of noise on the pitch and calling for the ball. This training was really useful and we were keen to put it into practice in our next match.

In the match against Parel Vallei High school we changed our formation around. This proved very effective, but unfortunately our inexperienced squad was unable to match the organised squad of the South African team.

The next day it was time to leave Stellenbosch and we continued on our journey to play another match against Wyneberg Girls’ School. This was our toughest opposition yet; however we held our own, holding the score to only 2-0 at half time having had a number of opportunities to score. Once again the score ran away towards the end of the match, ending in a 6-0 loss. Irrespective of the score, this was our best performance yet. After the match we headed to Cape Town where we were to stay for the next four nights in the Protea Breakwater Lodge.

We spent the next few days sightseeing and perusing the many markets around the city! We also undertook a trip to Robben Island to see Nelson Mandela’s cell, where we were shown round by a truly inspirational man, Jama, who was a political prisoner there for

five years. We also visited Seal Island, so named for the hundreds of Seals that cover this rocky mound.

We had hoped to go up Table Mountain but unfortunately maintenance on the lifts stopped us, however the grandeur of it looming over the city still made its presence known.

The trip to Langa was something I don’t think we will ever forget. It was a real eye opener, as we drove in past the plush beach villas to the corrugated iron shacks in a matter of minutes. We split into two for our walking tour, being led by members of the Langa community. They gave us a real insight into the community life. We were amazed by the happiness and vibrancy of the community given their poor circumstances; it made us really think about how much we moan in Britain! For lunch we went to Sheila’s cafe in the township, where we were greeted by a local band playing on a variety of instruments. We were served traditional African dishes, of which there were a great many to choose from, and so we took the initiative to just try a bit of everything!

Unfortunately the rain did pick up, and this combined with a poorly drained AstroTurf meant that we had to abandon the match against the Langa team, after seeing their strong hits only travel a few meters across the waterlogged pitch. We were disappointed as we had looked forward to playing their mixed team of boys and girls from aged 10 to 17.

The final stop was Rustenburg Girls’ High School where we were to have our last stay of the tour with host families. We played our last match and produced our best score yet against the Rustenberg team losing closely, 2-1. This final match truly showed how far we had come as a team over the last 2 weeks. We had developed our understanding of the game of Hockey (and apparently how rough it can be!) and also become extremely close as a squad too.

This fantastic performance signalled the end of our fabulous tour. Thank you so much to Mrs Barnard and Mrs Brough (Pledge) for putting up with us all, and thank you also to our generous parents!

Josie Procter (Girls’ 1st X1 Captain 2013/14)

St Peters School RUFC Tour to South Africa. 16th July-1st August 2013

Johannesburg

We immediately transferred to the Lesedi`s cultural village to find out more about the cultural heritage of this part of Africa; A great tour encompassing the five main cultural groups including the Zulus and Xhosa s followed and then we sampled our first taste of South African cuisine ; we were not to be disappointed ; from this meal onwards the food was superb as was the hospitality we received throughout our tour.

Trinity College

After our cultural tour we arrived at our first school; Trinity College. The boys were superbly hosted here for two nights. After a goods nights rest! We embarked on our second cultural visit prior to the first games vs Trinity ;

The Voortrekker Monument;

A unique marble Frieze circles the inside walls of the Voortrekker Monument. In bas-relief, 27 panels depict the story of the Great Trek from 1835 to 1852. The Frieze not only shows the history of the Great Trek, but also shows how the Voortrekkers went about their everyday lives. It also provides an insight on their religious beliefs and work methods of the Voortrekkers and historic wars, such as the Battle of Bloodriver.

Cenotaph Hall is located on the lower floor, and is home to the Cenotaph (empty tomb). On 16 December every year the sun shines down through a small hole in the centre of the Voortrekker Monument roof, onto the Cenotaph, lighting up the enscribed words: “Ons vir jou Suid Africa” (“We for thee, South Africa”). After a visit to the parliament buildings in Pretoria we returned to Trinity for our first two fixtures.

Two excellent games followed, both refereed with real skill. We came face to face with the new scrum laws which took a bit of getting used to and the southern hemisphere ways of clearing the ruck! For many in the party it was their first game since December and we were a little rusty!

A TEAM LOST 22-26 B TEAM LOST 0-19

Despite the results, the signs were good and we felt that real progress had been made and that the pre tour training had been worthwhile.

Leaving our excellent hosts at Trinity behind we set of to fly to Durban. No sooner had we arrived than we were off inland to our next stop in KOKSTAD . The views from the bus were superb as we headed right into the agricultural centre of the region. On arrival at the farm where we were to stay for two great nights all the lads

disappeared to varying accommodation from plush single chalets to a treehouse!! That night we were hosted by Kokstad college. At the farm and all the players and coaches ate together with their headmaster and director of Rugby. It was a truly memorable evening and showed us all the real pleasure of touring, meeting new people and sampling new cultures.

We woke to frost on the ground and a blue sky overhead and headed back over “that bridge” to play our next fixture Vs Kokstad College. A beautiful ground, with tremendous support for the home team and an outstanding referee; what more could you ask for ?

The two games were played at frenetic pace producing some outstanding tries allowing us to run out victors in both games. Once again the physio and first aid support was first rate and this was to be another thing that marked out all the games on this tour as special.

A TEAM WON 27-0 B TEAM WON 7-5

The afternoon and evening that followed provided great tour memories from Sam Blott and Felix Adams at the dam! to the evening braai and singing song at the camp fire. Kokstad was a very special experience for all of us.

A 3.00 am departure saw us off to Durban to fly onto Port Elizabeth; sadly SAA 50 seater planes can`t actually take 50 passengers !! so three of our party had a little longer to enjoy the departure lounge at Durban airport!! On arrival at P.E. We set off to KARIEGA game reserve for a couple of days of game drives and superb food.

The gym at Kariega also enabled us to do some decent rehab on a couple of the injured players and this gave us the confidence to play them in the coming matches. Remember the ice bath!! Oli, James and Will. Whilst the serious work of rehab was going on!! The swimming pool provided for some excellent entertainment for many of party-thanks go to Mr Smith!!

On leaving the game reserve we said goodbye to a tremendous experience and embarked on the next leg of our journey to the Cape. Our arrival in KNYSNA saw us on the waterfront in a great hotel. Food in the local restaurants was excellent and set us up for the next day where we had secured training facilities at the local high school. A good session for both sides followed and this proved vital for our next fixtures later in the week.

The afternoon was spent on the beach playing touch sevens of a sort! and swimming in the Indian Ocean!! It is winter down in SA and the locals thought we were mad!! However it was much warmer than a summer day in Scarborough!!

Taking in the garden route we travelled to our next fixture at POINT HIGH SCHOOL. Yet again the views from the pitch were special. The games were very physical and it was very good to see how we fronted up to older players in their 1st and 2nd teams. A number of the lads also played for Point in a hastily arranged third team game!! The lads were hosted by their opponents that night and had a “tremendous time”. We now set off for the Cape, down the garden route; This was a truly beautiful drive that most of the lads slept through!!

B TEAM LOST 10--17 A TEAM LOST 18-35

Our arrival in Cape Town saw the first clouds of the tour!! Most of them covered Table Mountain for the next couple of days! Having got our bearings we ate out early and on our way back to the hotel met rain for the first time since leaving England!!

We were now geared up for our fourth opponents; Paulus Joubert. The hospitality we received here at this community college was humbling. Two very good games played with great spirit followed and in the end we ran out winners in both. I think the lads got more out of the experience here than they ever believed they would. Watching the second team lads “teaching” lineout lifting and playing touch after the match was tremendous to see.

A TEAM WON 17-7 B TEAM WON 14-12

Better weather welcomed us next morning but sadly the table cloth remained stubbornly over the mountain! We set off to Seal Island , the boat trip out to the seals certainly tested the stomachs of a few!! Now off to the beach for lunch and a bit of American football and some wonderful views.

Sunday evening saw us have our final tour dinner at which a number of presentations were given out? What goes on tour stays on tour!!

Monday saw us set off to our final hosts at Bishops. Before then we toured District 6 and the museum that went with it; this was a truly humbling experience. It was important that we all got to grips with the reality of Apartheid . The tour of the museum allowed us to grasp the importance of District Six in the fight against apartheid.

In contrast to District Six came our next stop at the oldest Vineyard in South Africa; GROOT CONSTANTIA. Its heritage makes Groot Constantia unique. Groot Constantia is South Africa’s oldest wine producing farm, boasting a proud heritage of 327 years. Since its inception in 1685 the Estate has had a history of uninterrupted wine production, an achievement that cannot be claimed by any other wine farm in South Africa. We had a fascinating tour of the winemaking and then went to the wine-tasting and finally of to an adjoining restaurant for as good a burger and chips as you will get anywhere!! Now well fed and watered we set of for Bishops to train for the last time;

The views from the school rugby pitches were stunning. We realised the magnitude of the game the next day. Training was good and we felt that we would do ourselves justice in our final games. The boys were excellently hosted by their opponents for the next two nights. We picked the lads up early the following morning to visit Langa Township and to eat at Sheila’s café before returning for the matches in the afternoon.

Langa is Capetown’s oldest township, established in 1923. Similar to he nearby communities of Gugelethu and Khayelitsha, Langa is one of many areas that were established prior to the apartheid era designated for Black Africans.

A very good tour of the township alongside a number of stories that really made your eyes water! set us up for lunch and some great music at Sheila’s café.

Now off to the final matches via a wonderful view point that gave us a first proper view of Table Mountain minus its cloud! The second team game started well but they weathered the storm and really came at us with great pace and skill in the first half scoring a number of tries. We settled over half time and got back into the game in the second half losing this only 10-7, scoring a great try, (well done the two Olis!!)

The first team were outstanding in the first half at one stage leading 13-5. However our four games in the recent weeks and their superior fitness allowed them to play some wonderful rugby. In the second half running from everywhere with great pace, at space, offloading at will.

A TEAM LOST 18-41 B TEAM LOST 31-17

Tour playing record

A TEAM B TEAM

played 5 lost 3 won 2

played 5 lost 3 won 2 points for 102 points for 48 points against 119 points against 84

A great start to the new season.

P Stephen / S Williams