FIRST FORM NORMANDY TRIP
At the very beginning of the Easter holidays, thirty-four First Formers and six staff, under the leadership of Mr. Lucas, set off for a joint History and Modern Languages trip to Normandy. After loading the coach, we set off on a long, and thankfully uneventful, trip to Merville-Franceville, near Caen, crossing the Channel via Le Shuttle.
Upon arrival at our hotel, all were suitably impressed; the Bon Séjour was a purpose-built, modern hotel, located right on the beach.
We were quickly whisked into the hotel’s dining room for the first of our excellent meals, before heading up to our rooms to unpack.
The next day, we headed off to Bayeux, to begin our ‘Norman Conquest Day’. After looking around the Centre de Guillame le Conquerant, we finally found ourselves face to face with the Bayeux Tapestry, which the First Form have all looked at in some detail during history lessons. For many – including some of the teachers – this was the first time the tapestry had been seen ‘in the flesh’ and it was exciting to have the chance to see such a famous historical source at first hand.
Our next stop was Caen, where we enjoyed an authentic French picnic lunch at the castle, before setting off to the Abbaye aux Hommes, one of the two abbeys in Caen built by William the Conqueror, and where he was subsequently buried. All were enthralled by the story of how William’s body had begun to decompose by the time he was buried, and actually burst, emitting smelly gases and liquids, when he had to be forced into the undersized coffin that had been laid on for the burial of Normandy’s most famous son!
Having seen where William was buried, we next visited the chateau at Falaise, the seat of the Dukes of Normandy, where William was conceived and born. The castle had been heavily restored and reconstructed, to give a feel feeling of how it would have been at the time of the Norman Conquest. To improve the visitor experience, the castle had been fitted with a rather bizarre radio-controlled audio commentary; some of the receivers picked up a local radio station playing 1980s pop music, which added to the rather surreal experience!
Upon our arrival back at the hotel, we enjoyed some free time; some opted to play cricket on the beach, whilst others played football on the grass around the hotel. Some of the more diligent members of the group even used the time to write up their experiences in their journals!
The following day, we drove out to the Mont-Saint-Michel. We began with a tour of the abbey at the top of the Mont, which afforded some excellent views. It was also interesting to see an abbey at first hand, since boys had studied religious orders in the medieval period during their history lessons earlier in the year.
After visiting the abbey, Miss Hornick set the boys a number of challenges, including finding the cheapest pain au chocolat, and the tackiest souvenir. The boys then headed off in groups to complete the challenges, and to practice their French!
The next day, we set off for Arromanches, to begin our ‘D-Day Beaches Day’ at the Arromanches 360, a circular cinema that attempts to bring to life the experiences of the Allied troops as they landed in France. After a quick visit to the American Cemetery, we drove back to Arromanches for lunch. Each boy was given some cash, and had to use their French language skills to buy themselves lunch!
Our next stop was the Juno Beach Centre, an outstanding facility run by the Canadians. We were taken for a guided tour of the beach, before paying a flying visit to the exhibition centre, which explored Canadian life in the 1930s and 1940s, and looked at their role in the Second World War. We then headed back to Caen to visit the Memorial Museum, where we explored the Second World War galleries, before being shown two films in the museum’s cinema. Later that evening, we celebrated Mike, our coach driver’s birthday, before the boys, spurred on by Miss Hornick, Miss Connolly and Mr. Lucas, plucked up the courage to dance at the hotel’s nightly disco!
The next morning, after packing, we drove to Beussant where we were given a chocolate making demonstration by Alain, proprietor of the Beussant chocolaterie. The demonstration concluded with a tasting of freshly-made chocolates, which was enjoyed by all! The boys then proceeded to buy almost the entire contents of Alain’s shop!
All agreed that the trip was hugely enjoyable. Thanks to all the staff for giving up some of their holiday time to ensure that the trip was a success!