International Pupils' Trip to London and the Houses of Parliament

February 27th 2024

International Pupils' Trip to London and the Houses of Parliament...

The international pupils went to London to visit the Houses of Parliament and Covent Garden and to do some shopping. We had a very early breakfast in the Dining Hall at 5.45am and got the coach at 6.15am. We still arrived a little late at Westminster Palace for our bespoke tour and had to run the last metres to the gates, just below a newly renovated Elizabeth Tower and Big Ben clock.

The tour was very informative and interesting, the guide explained a lot of historical events. We were taken through St Stephen’s Hall, the Central Lobby, the Royal Chambers and into the House of Lords, which was all red and gold and quite amazing. We even witnessed the arrival of ‘Mr Speaker’ in the Central Lobby, a ceremony where some guards call “Hats off, strangers” as they process to the House of Commons through the hall with paintings of the Saints of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England on the wall. Furthermore, we learned that in 1918, a suffragette had chained herself to one of the statues to get voting rights for women, and in the attempt to remove her, the police accidentally broke off the spur of the statue's foot.

After lunch and photos, we walked to Covent Garden via Horseguards Parade and Trafalgar Square, to go shopping and get some lunch. In Covent Garden there was everything from “The Real German Hotdog” to strawberries in chocolate and Greek street food. There were talented musicians playing classical music in the courtyards and we also watched a street artist doing a daring tightrope act. It was a good day out a good real-life experience of what it’s like in London.

Fabienne from Germany - L6^th Form Priory House