View Summer ‘11 Issue 18
More than we could have expected Trekking in Morocco topped even the high expectations of the sixty Year 9 students who made the journey at Easter. Phoebe Grange and Lottie Clough report. “As we walked up the breathtaking mountains of Morocco we knew the months of preparation had been worth it. It was better than anyone could ever have imagined; singing as we walked along the dusty paths, playing football with the Moroccan children, giving out presents, and above all knowing that we were all on this trek together. “When we stepped out of the plane and on to African soil we were surprised by the heat. At Hotel Ali our room had a great view of the Marrakech market square with its snake charmers, henna ladies and stalls selling fresh orange juice.
“The walks up the mountains were challenging but the views were spectacular when we reached the top. Our campsites were amazing and the guides prepared delicious food. We all enjoyed washing our hair in nearby rivers and playing card games in the tents. “Being in Morocco was one of the best times of our lives and we all came back with vivid memories: a ride on a mule, falling in a river or just hanging out in the campsite with people we now know very well. None of us will ever forget the time we spent there.”
Thrills and spills in Andalusia Spain was the destination for a group of Year 8 students, who experienced more than the usual high points in their five-day trip to Andalusia. Based in Malaga, the students enjoyed the sights and tastes of the city, visiting the castle with its beautiful views of the coastline, trying tapas and other local foods. Churros con chocolate was a firm favourite for many.
Coastal calculations A day of coastal and tourism-based fieldwork took Year 9 to Clevedon Bay, the new pier at Weston, and Clevedon Pier, the only fully-intact, Grade I listed pier in the country. They collected data for person profiles, land-use surveys and environmental quality surveys for ‘Coasts’, one of this term’s Geography topics. They enjoyed great weather, perfect for taking measurements along the sea front. Izzy says, “We had a fun day; it was a great way of developing our fieldwork skills. All who are carrying on at GCSE will find it extremely useful.”
BGS scouts join world jamboree
Sightseeing in Granada, the capital of the province, inevitably incorporated a visit to the beautiful palace and cathedral of the Alhambra. Maisie , like many in the group, was very excited about the visit to the theme park Tivoli World: “We could see the rides in the distance; they were so tall! We went on the Tivoli Dragon ride, which was fast and furious. We were soaked by the flumes which was fun as we were so hot anyway. We were so high up, it felt as if we were on top of the mountains. It was the best trip.”
BGS students will be teaming up with scouts around the world this summer, selected to join scouts making up part of the UK contingent to the World Scout Jamboree 2011 in Sweden. The students have been training and fundraising for the past twelve months. They will leave in July to spend two weeks under canvas with 38,000 scouts from around the world, a fantastic multicultural event organised every four years. Congratulations to Emily and Kate who succeeded in reaching the final eight in Avon’s Got Talent during the County Scout Jamboree at half-term. They sang an a cappella duet of The Long and Winding Road in front of 2,500 scouts.
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