Well ...

... That's it ... The kids have been superstars. We have all really enjoyed the week ... Staff, drivers and children alike. There was lots to do and we are all incredibly tired. Hopefully the will be many pictures to serve as excellent souvenirs of a truly brilliant week away in France and Belgium. Looking forward to next year already ... !

Updated update

We are en route now towards the M25. Probably about an hour late in comparison to the schedule.  Children now mainly attached to phones and the internet..... all of a sudden the journey has got quieter.

Eurotunnel update

We were greeted with delays at eurotunnel.  We have just been called to vehicles though so it looks like we should only be delayed by about half an hour ... updates will follow by text.  We will text at folkestone.

Leaving Belgium...

Just about to check out. Off now to France again. We are going to Boulogne-sur-mer for the day. Will be tricky to blog until we get back to England at about 5pm. See you all later. We will text and call with times.

What a day!

The day has been long ... We told the children that it would be ... It amazes us that they don't all believe us! We have visited the grave of John McRae, explored the German cemetery at Langemark (where we had some very deep, and sometimes surprising, discussions with many of the children about the difference in treatments and the symbolism of the German cemeteries ... It will be interesting to pick these conversations up at a later date with them ... They have some very inquisitive and also insightful minds) and visited the ain Flanders Fields museum to help root our understanding of the events of the "Great War". We were challenged with very current technological features at this museum ... Newly renovated and repurposed. Naturally, many a euro has been spent in the chocolateries here in Ypres. Back at the hotl we had great food before heading out to the Menin Gate, where Hollie, Chloe T, Liam and Jake were our wreath bearers. Bowling was, as you can imagine, great fun as well. Now the children are all tucked up in bed ... Most of them are asleep ... And they have been for just under an hour now. The days a long, but they are filled with a great many memories to remember and share forever. P.S. we want to wish Mr and Mrs B a happy wedding anniversary today (just in time, as well!). We are looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow evening, but not before we have visited a café here is France and the beach. Much fun still lies ahead. They will, definitely he'd their sleep tomorrow night! We will too!!

Checked in at Flanders Lodge

Wow ... a range of adjectives which apparently describe this hotel:
Pukka
Beastie
Sick
Mega
Awesome
Best hotel ever

I think we all quite like it.

We knew that a storm would come ... very hot and humid here ... the heavens have just opened.  Just getting ready for dinner before we head out to the Menin Gate, followed by our bowling session later. 

It's so very hot ...

In Belgium

We've made it into Belgium now.  An early departure this morning was followed by a roadside breakfast stop. On our way to Essex Farm Cemetery.

We are hoping for better internet reception to make our posts more regular today!

Greetings again

We have seen the Canadian and British memorials this afternoon.
We've also bought loads of water and fruit because, although its not tremendously sunny, it is very hot and humid.

Arras

We've been to the market ... practised our French role plays and are now at Vimy Ridge.

Who ...

... is this?!

A windy afternoon at the beach!

Just popped to the beach ... less than a stone's throw away from the hotel. Games of time bomb, splat, bury me, word associations etc are all well deserved after we have earned how to bake croissants ... indeed we learned how to make them in French and all of us were put on the spot at the bakery in order to give instructions in French to our fellow bakers! Many, many laughs later, the croissants and pains au chocolat were divine! Dinner time soon!

We've arrived

At the hotel, having a laugh. Rooms are amazing ... some of us having trouble with the showers though! Jake has to kneel for his shower (lol). L

A la boulangerie

Some students have been spotted as potential apprentice bakers

And we're off!!

We've arrived at the Channel Tunnel and are about to embark on our adventure! Don't forget to read about our exploits as the week unfolds.

Go!

It's almost time ... just 6 hours and we will already have left school!

Mr Hughes has checked out the weather ... he's the weather man for our trips ... and looks good in France, but waterproofs and wellies are probably going to be in demand in Belgium :-(

Are you counting down?!  Make sure yiu don't go to sleep before getting on the coach ... we want to sleep a bit on board ... it is a long day tomorrow ... first appointment at 10am in France!

Get set, ...

Two days to go ... but only one more sleep! :-)

Are you packed yet?  Don't forget to pop your shirt, tie and black bottoms (and shoes of some sort!) in your bag for the Menin Gate ceremony!

On Thursday, we will visit the grave of John McRae, the soldier who wrote the poem "In Flanders Fields", at the Essex Farm Cemetery.  We will also visit the In Flanders Fields museum.  Have a look at the poem below and familiarise yourselves with the poem that has become so famous!

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.


We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.


Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

On your marks, ....

Have a look at these websites to see where we are heading:

• Brochure about Le Touquet in French and in English
• Chocolaterie
• Vimy Ridge
• Thiepval
• Arras market
• The Restaurant: Caffe Leffe
• Some info about Flanders Fields - the area
• In Flanders Fields - museum
• Sanctuary Wood
• Essex Farm Cemetery
• Menin Gate - Last Post Ceremony
• Boulogne-sur-Mer

See where we are going, so that you know what is in store.

The weather forecast is looking pretty good, with a little rain on Thursday evening, by the looks of things.  Temperatures could well hit the high 20s during Thursday and Friday.

Bring flipflops for the beach - I would put them in your hand luggage, in case we decide to hit the beach before the hotel!

3 days to go

3 Days to go until we leave ...

Are you getting excited?  It isn't long until we leave now!  Get your bits and bobs packed, and remember that you need to travel in clothes, not in pyjamas!  Make sure that your money is changed into Euros.

Fun in the Sun

Fun in the Sun after the long journey we were glad to see that the sun was definitely shining in Dunkirk. To get to Frane, we went into the Eurotunnel. It was fun, but a little bit scary. It was fun because you could see everything that was going on - but there were no fish to be seen! It was scary, because it went straight down ... That was a bit of a shock. We have had an interesting and memorable visit to the Operation Dynamo museum. We also had a surprising visit to the beach and had a fun time, doing some shell hunting and burying our friends. We didn't go anywhere near the sea, because the teachers wouldn't let us. We had dinner at the Italian restaurant. We had to speak in French to the waiter and be polite. If we didn't order in French, we wouldn't have had any food. The food was very tasty - some of us had lasagne, some of us had pizza. It was definitely delicious ... Someone said it was tastier than mum's pizzas!! We are now exploring the hotel ... Working out how the showers work and trying to find out about the football.

And so begins ...

We're nearly ready for the off!


Right then ... a bit of time for a good night's sleep before we travel in the morning!  So exciting.  The cases and bags are bound to be enormous and very full ... even though we are only away for one night!

Not long now ...

Two days to go ...

... until we go to Dunkirk.  The Year 6 / 7 trip is almost here.  Staff and students are all very excited and can't wait to travel.  It's all so close!  We are off for two days and the time there is action packed.


Find out about where we will be spending some time:

1. There is loads of information about Operation Dynamo and we will visit the museum during the afternoon on our first day.
2. On the second day, we will visit the zoo at Fort Madyck.
3. Before we return, we will go to the town of Calais to have a picnic lunch and a leg stretch before the l-o-n-g journey home!

There is lots to do and we will, no doubt, be very tired.

Hopefully we will be able to update this blog whilst we are away - that is the idea.