ST STITHIANS BOYS' PREP. ~ AUGUST 2005
4 August 2005 Bon voyage!
-- and so dawned the day that all the boys had been looking forward to for so long! With great excitement, everyone gathered at Johannesburg International, where the Duty Manager of Air France facilitated a smooth check-in process for the group. After fond farewells, and a few hidden tears from some Mums, the happy band of travellers made their way to passport control and at 19h45 they boarded flight AF 995 to Paris. Please rest assured that all arrangements are firmly in place and, all things being equal, a wonderful tour awaits your boys! My website diary is only as good as the news I receive from parents and chaperones, so, if you have any interesting snippets to share, please could I ask you to drop me a line. Should you have any concerns throughout the tour, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Written by: Jenny Peddle
5 August 2005 Bienvenue a Paris!
After a long but enjoyable flight, the group arrived at Roissy Charles de Gaulle, where they were warmly greeted by Mr Peter Voice, who is to be their tour guide for the next 12 days. I received an sms from the chaperones to say that they had thoroughly enjoyed their visit to the Louvre and Notre Dame and apparently everyone is looking forward to their day at Disneyland Paris tomorrow. Should you wish to write to your children, the fax number at the hotel is +33 1 40 61 22 99. I have no doubt that your children will sleep well tonight!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
6 August 2005 Disneyland Paris
The day everyone had been looking forward to – the outing to Disneyland Paris! Memories of meeting the Disney characters, braving the hectic rides and viewing the spectacular parade in the Main Street, will last with them forever. Apparently the 'buzz' word for the day was "AWESOME" and the boys were delighted to be able to stay long into the evening, only getting into bed at 2.00am! It's amazing what adrenaline does ---!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
7 August 2005 Perspectives of Paris
Feeling a little weary this morning, yet being able to draw on the energy of youth, they all made their way by metro to the Eiffel Tower and, for many, this was the first time they had seen this spectacular feat of engineering. The view over Paris from the top was 'awesome' and Peter Voice was able to point out several of the main landmarks to the boys. Then, a different perspective of Paris, as they enjoyed a leisurely cruise on the River Seine, before taking a stroll down the world's most famous boulevard, L'Avenue des Champs Elysees. The afternoon and early evening was spent in the oldest district of Paris, Montmartre, where they visited the white basilica of Sacre Coeur and La Place du Tertre -- not sure if anyone had a portrait painted! What a full day and, once again, bed must have been a very welcome sight that night!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
8 August 2005 Hot off the press news!
'Au revoir a Paris', as the group boarded the EuroStar at the Gare du Nord. What an experience for the boys, travelling under the English Channel, only to surface a few hours later at Waterloo station in London! Their luxury coach was awaiting them and they made their way to Sherborne, which lies on the border of Somerset and Dorset. The 12th century old castle was unfortunately closed to visitors today, as too was Sherborne School, which is undergoing renovations. They did, however, view them from close proximity and Peter Voice gave an excellent historic run-down on both. They then enjoyed a guided tour of this fascinating town and popped into the Casterbridge offices, where Russell and Dawid seized the opportunity to drop us a line --- so, hot off the press news -- "We are in Sherborne and all its well. We are having a wonderful time. EuroDisney was a real highlight - the boys even went back into the park after dinner at Planet Hollywood and then went on some more rides! We met a Spina bifida girl of 12, from Belgium, who latched onto our group and she loved all the attention from the boys. Peter, our tour guide, is great. The Eiffel Tower was brilliant!! Lots of portraits at Montmartre, which are very amusing! Lots of love & wishes, Russell & Dawid". There is no doubt that they are all having a wonderful tour –-- should any of you wish to write to your boys, the fax number at the Bath YMCA is: 09 44 1225 462065.
Written by: Jenny Peddle
9 August 2005 A full day in Bristol
Today, they drove to Bristol, a thriving port since the Middle Ages, and their first visit was to the SS Great Britain. The boys were impressed with this ship, which now lies carefully restored in her original dry dock. She was built in 1843 and was the first iron-built, propeller-driven Atlantic liner. They enjoyed their visit to the Maritime Heritage Centre and the City Docks, marvelling that John and Sebastian Cabot had set sail for North America in 1497 from this very spot. After their tour of the famous Floating Harbour, with its elaborate system of locks that control the exceptional tides, they completed their full day with a visit to the fascinating Exploratorium.
Written by: Jenny Peddle
10 August 2005 A relaxing day in Bath
Apparently the boys really enjoyed their day in Bath. Many had thought that they were just going to see "stinky, smelly water", but in fact they came away thinking quite differently, marvelling at the ingenuity of the ancient engineers. It was a relaxing day and no coach was needed, so they were able to wander around the town at leisure and enjoy some free time to shop. This was their last night in the Bath Youth Residence, signifying that sadly, 2/3 of their journey is over.
Written by: Jenny Peddle
11 August 2005 Onward to London
Farewell to Bath, as they made their way to mysterious Stonehenge, which the boys found 'awesome'. Thereafter, they continued on to Portsmouth, where they toured the Naval Dockyards, visiting Admiral Nelson's flagship, HMS Victory, which led the victorious attack on the French and Spanish fleets in 1805. The history lovers especially enjoyed the D-Day Museum, where they learnt the full story of the World Wars and the Allied invasions. They seemed happy with their accommodation at Rotherhithe Youth Hostel and for those of you who would like to drop a line to your sons, the fax number is 09 44 20 72 37 29 19.
Written by: Jenny Peddle
12 August 2005 No new s is good news!
With nothing specific to report from the chaperones, parents or Tour escort, I can only presume that all is running smoothly and according to plan! I just wish we could have some influence over the weather – this time two years ago the St Stithian boys were complaining of a heat wave and now it's chilly, overcast and rainy! Still, by all accounts, they seem to have had such a good time, that not even the weather could dampen their spirits!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
14 August 2005 A fun-filled weekend in London
A fun-filled weekend in London, as they visited the fascinating waxwork museum of Madame Tussaud, the British Museum and the Tower of London. They marvelled at the bird's eye view over this magnificent city from the BA London Eye, excitedly identifying so many famous landmarks, like Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace. Fortunately, the weather improved for their cruise on the River Thames, which provided a different perspective of London. Sadly, this is their last night on tour and the evening will probably be spent sorting through all the packets of shopping and trying to condense everything into one suitcase!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
15 August 2005 Homeward bound!
All good things come to an end and, by all accounts, everyone has had a wonderful time. They will be sad to say goodbye to Peter Voice, who has been an excellent companion for the past 2 weeks, but they will obviously be very excited to return home and tell all! Flights have been confirmed and they are scheduled to depart from London Heathrow for Paris at 6.00pm on AF 2071, where they will stay in transit at Charles de Gaulle until they board flight AF990 at 11.15pm. They are scheduled to arrive at Johannesburg International at 9.40am on Tuesday 16 August and I'm sure I don't have to remind or persuade you to be there! I will also be at the arrivals hall where I hope to be able to chat to as many of you as possible – it will probably be easier for you to recognize me than I you! I wish you all a happy homecoming and thank you for the privilege of working on this tour. My final word goes to Russell Williams, whom I feel deserves all the credit, for having initiated this second successful tour, thereby enriching the lives of 20 little boys forever.
Written by: Jenny Peddle