On Tuesday 8D arrived in London for the annual scholars’ trip.There was huge excitement on the train then, after we checked in, a long walk past Borough Market and around South Bank in some glorious weather. A quick trip into the Tate Modern was followed by a top up of our energy levels and a chance to grab a bite to eat at Pizza Express.The highlight of our evening was a trip to the Globe to watch A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 8D have been studying it in class so there was a lot of discussion and very different opinions on the casting and interpretation by the characters in this production. A malfunctioning fire alarm and the subsequent monsoon- level deluge from the sprinkler system brought added excitement and an unexpected soaking for the children! 

The next day, resplendent in our kilts we headed for parliament. We were met by Lady Dholakia who showed us some of the places that usually go unseen. A look into St John’s Undercroft and also the cupboard where Emily Davidson (as a protest in favour of female suffrage) hid on the night of the 1911 census, was a particularly exciting experience. We then headed for a Committee room were Lord Dholakia talked to us about the work of the Lords and our local MP, Christine Jardine, joined us to talk about the work of the Commons and to answer our questions.We then headed on to the Tower of London. We very much enjoyed looking at Henry VIII’s collection of armour. The Crown Jewels were an amazing sight that literally left some of us speechless. We then headed outside to have a look at the spot where Anne Boleyn and many others met a rather gruesome face. 

A trip around the Bloody Tower and a look at some of the torture instruments used in the past came next. On the way out of the Tower we met the Duchess of Newcastle and Nell Gwynne who had been transported from 1662 and the reign of Charles II to talk about their lives in Stuart London. They were very pleased to meet us and we discovered that the Duchess of Newcastle’s father was a Cargilfield boy in the early 1960s!