EDUCATIONAL STAY IN
FRINTON-ON-SEA, ENGLAND - DIARY
Sunday, 9th September ´07: Setting off for Great Britain
On Sunday 9th September 2007 all 30 pupils of our group met at our school at half past 5 in the morning (!). They immediately stood in groups together and talked to each other excitedly. Then the bus arrived and all pupils were happy, the parents as well, as their children would have a great experience in their life!
The pupils went on board the bus and looked for the best place to sit. The engine started and all waved to their parents.
During the journey we talked and laughed a lot and had so much fun that we didn´t realize that already two hours and a half had passed when our bus stopped; we went to the toilet or had some ice-cream or something else.
After this little break our journey was continued with us having as much fun as before: We played cards, slept, ate something, talked or played gameboy…
In Belgium we had our next stop. Then we went on to Calais, our French harbour for crossing the Channel. Great, we were in France! Unfortunately we couldn´t get on board an earlier boat (at 2 p.m.), so we had to take the boat we were registered for at half past 3. We had to wait for a long time, but it was okay: The weather was just great and all had a lot of fun waiting in the sun. We took a lot of photos of our friends … and we talked to English-speaking people who were really nice.
Finally our ship arrived and the bus could drive on board. We of course had to leave the bus, went on deck and sat down outside … It was really great weather: The sun was shining and it was very warm!
After an hour we arrived at Dover. The bus left the boat, and we went on towards Frinton on the motorway. It was a bit strange, because we drove on the left side of the road!
At half past six we arrived at Frinton! We all were very excited but also happy to learn a lot about the country and about family life in this country. At Frinton Station we got off the bus and met our host families. Julia, Ina, Alica and me were picked up by Mrs Lorraine Chaney. She took us to her house. There she showed us around and made dinner for us. We got some warm food which wasn´t really nice, but of course we ate it. After dinner we met our friends in the park. At 9 o´clock we went back home and talked our day over.
It was a really exciting but great day!
(Kristin Potthoff und Julia Schmiedlau, 9c)
Monday, 10th September ´07: Our second day in Britain
On our second day in Frinton we met at Frinton Station at 9 a.m.
At first we went to the Tennis Club. There we got information about the plan for the whole week of our stay from Eva York, our organizer.
After this we got a town quiz about Frinton, and it was great fun to find the right solutions. We were divided into groups of four and visited the old library, the shopping street Connaught Avenue, and the smallest church of Frinton, the Free Church. Unfortunately it was closed.
After having finished the quiz we should meet at Sandy Hook Breakwater, but most of us didn´t find it. So Mrs. Ledendecker had to look for us…
After a little accident we went to the casino and amusement arcades of Walton Pier with Mr. Gude where we played funny games. Two of us and Mrs Ledendecker went to Clacton hospital …
At about 6 p.m. we went home to our host families. It was a nice day.
(Lennard Lagmöller, 9c and Torben Wittenbreder, 9a )
Tuesday, 11th September ´07: Our trip to Ipswich and our visit of
Frinton Fire Station
This day we met at Frinton Station to make a trip by train. Our organiser, Eva York, had planned a trip to Ipswich for us. Ipswich is a bigger town not very far from Frinton-on-Sea. Our train arrived at Ipswich at 9.50 a.m. after a one-hour journey. At first we visited the National History Museum of Ipswich, which was very interesting. We learned something about animals – especially birds – and about sealife. We saw all sorts of birds in big glass cases and also fish we had never seen before. We also learned something about wars in England and about the history of Ipswich.
After our visit to the museum we were allowed to walk around the city centre on our own, of course in groups of three or more. We had to meet again at the Town Council at 2 p.m.; we didn´t know where that was, so we had to ask people in the streets. That worked very well, and so everybody was at the Town Council on time.
In the afternoon we walked through a beautiful park to visit Christchurch Mansion, an old big house owned by the British nobility. Some famous paintings by Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788) and John Constable (1776-1837) were very interesting. After that we walked back to the station and went home again to our host families.
(Eva-Lotte Palsbröker and Linda Isiklar, 9c)
A hot but wet experience
At 19.30 we all met at the Fire Station of Frinton-on-Sea. There the fire brigade were waiting for us. They drove their fire engine outside, rolled the big fire hoses out and leaned the ladder at the tower, which was supposed to be burning. Now two firemen climbed the ladder and at the top of the tower they sprayed around with water. After a few minutes the firemen came down and put the ladder as well as the hoses back on their fire engine.
Now we had the chance to aim with a water hose at traffic cones, which had to fall on the ground, if you wanted to be successful. Mrs Ledendecker was the first from our group who had the courage to aim at the cones with the big hose. She was successful and seemed to enjoy it, so many pupils from our group aimed, too.
After this the fireman in charge of us took us into the station, where we could have a look around. In the fire station we could ask questions as well. The fireman in charge told us that they usually have 300 operations a year and that they had already had 2 operations that day!
He also told us that they in fire brigade competitions the fire brigade of Frinton had won very often.
At 20.10 p.m. the last questions had been answered and we all walked slowly home to our host families full of new experiences about the work of a fireman.
(Oliver Schulz & Rainer Horstkotte, 9b)
Wednesday, 12th September ´07: Our first trip to London
Today we went to London. We met at Frinton Station at half past eight and took the train at 9:48h to Thorpe le Soken. There we changed for the train to London where we arrived after one hour and a half. All pupils were very nervous because most of them had never been in London before. At London Liverpool Station, Mrs Ledendecker bought the tickets for the Underground, and we took the Circle Line to South Kensington. There we could choose to go to the Science Museum or to the Natural History Museum. Seven kids preferred to go the History Museum with Mr Gude, the other went to the Science Museum with Mrs Ledendecker.
In the Science Museum, we could see and learn many things about Art, Current Science, Environment, Physics and Maths, Chemistry, Energy, Everyday Things, Space and other interesting topics. We had a lot of fun, because it was a “hands-on” museum and we could do some experiments by ourselves.
In the Natural History Museum, the group learned something about dinosaurs and other details about the history of nature.
At half past twelve, we had to leave the museums to meet Mrs Ledendecker and Mr Gude again. They told us that we could choose now between Harrods (a very BIG shopping centre which is very expensive) and the Hard- Rock Café as quite a few of us had asked if they could go there.
Some of us went to Harrods, but at the entrance, the security people didn´t let us in, because we were too young and we had to go with our teachers. We rang Mrs Ledendecker and Mr Gude. They joined us and our problem was solved. Harrods was soooooooooooo beautiful. There were many departments: Christmas, Pets, Electronic, Clothes, Beauty and LOTS of other things. It was so nice to look around, it was something really special!
The Hard Rock Café was nice, too. Next to the Café was the Hard-Rock-Shop where some pupils bought T-Shirts or something else.
At three o’clock, we had to be at Buckingham Palace. It was a great morning!
(Lisa Bringewat,9c and Fabienne Ebeling, 9e)
At Buckingham Palace a group picture was taken by Mrs Ledendecker. The group had some time to look at Buckingham Palace and to take some photos themselves.
After that we walked up the Mall and reached Trafalgar Square, where a few of us climbed the big monument lions at the centre of the square. We went on to Covent Garden, and there we had free time for an hour 15 minutes to go shopping and look around. At Covent Garden there are nice shops and interesting street artists, so time passed by quickly.
At the end of the day we wanted to get on the tube at Holborn, but this station was closed, no one knows why. We walked on to the next underground station which was Chancery Lane. Everything was very difficult, because it was the London rush hour, and many people wanted to go by tube. When we reached Liverpool Street Station our teachers realised that two of us weren´t there, and so we missed our train to Frinton as we didn´t want to leave the two behind. After a while our group was complete again, and at last we took another train back to Frinton. In the evening we were very tired .
(Christoph Gerdener and Larsen Marquardt)
Thursday, 13th September ´07: Day trip to Colchester
We got up at 7 o’clock and went to Frinton by bus as we didn´t stay in Frinton but in Clacton-on-sea.
At 9 o’clock we met the others at Frinton Station.
From there we took a train to Colchester to visit Colchester Castle. It’s a 2000 year-old building of Roman origin which was finished in Norman times. In the 16th century it was destroyed, but meanwhile it has been restored. Its museum and its library explain the various stages of British history, especially of East Anglian history.
After the visit we walked into the city.
There we (Phillip, Kilian and Julian) drank a coffee at Starbuck´s.
In the evening we went back to Frinton by train and took the bus to
Clacton.
We had dinner at 18.30. After dinner Allen, our host father, drove us to Clacton city. There are many casinos and a nice beach.
(Kilian Rullkötter, Julian Ritzmann and Phillip Höke, 9c)
Colchester is the oldest-known town in Great Britain. The Roman site of Colchester was founded as Camulodunum in 43 AD; it was the administerial site of newly-conquered Britain. Later in the sixties Londinium became the administerial site of Britain. Maybe Colchester was at one time the home of the famous Camelot of the Artus saga.
Later on, in 1648, during the Second English Civil War, a Royalist army led by Sir Charles Lucas and Sir George Lisl, entered the town. The Parliamentary army, led by Sir Thomas Fairfax and Henry Ireton besieged the town for eleven weeks and a half. The Royalists surrendered in late summer and their leaders Lucas and Lisle were executed in the grounds of Colchester Castle. A small obelisk still marks the spot where they fell.
(Christopher Fink and Nico Bläute, 9c)
Friday, 14th September ´07: Meeting the mayor of Frinton in the Town Council and a walk along the coast to the Tower of Naze in the afternoon
(Jana Meinschenk, 9d and Kim Blaschke, 9b)
On Friday we visited the Tower of Naze in Walton-on-the-Naze. The weather was very good and the sun was shining hot.
We went into Naze Tower through a kind of museum and art gallery where you can eat and drink something. From the top of the tower you can see the nearest coast and the whole sea. It is a great view and we enjoyed it.
At the top of the tower we could also read some information about the tower and we saw an English flag.
Then we went down again and had a break at the tables and on the benches next to the tower.
Not far from the tower we found another beautiful place offering a gorgeous view of the land and coast around. From there you can see the sun rising and setting. That day the sky was red- and orange-coloured. We took nice photos of the fields and forests around us.
(Anna-Lena Groß and Carolin Olbrich, 9d)
Saturday, 15th September ´07: Our second trip to London
- in the morning -
Today we went to London again; it was our second trip there. It was very difficult to get to “Westminster” by underground, because two lines left on the same platform, and of course we took a train of the wrong line, not of “our” Circle Line. After changing trains once we reached our destination. We walked across Westminster Bridge up to the “London Eye”, which is on the River Thames. We spent a lot of time waiting for getting on the Eye, standing in the hot sun. As soon as we got on board our gondola, we had a wonderful view of London with Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, London Bridge and many other interesting sights. It was a long ride (almost 30 minutes) that took us up into an enormous height. We looked through the glass walls of the gondola and felt like having a real flight. Back on the ground we had some free time until four p.m. Our group planned to visit London Dungeon…
(Karen Hüske and Jana Güntner, 9a)
- in the afternoon –
In our free time (2 hours and a half) we went to different places in small groups. There was such a lot to do in London: Some of us went to Covent Garden again, some went to Westminster Abbey, to the Tower Bridge and the Tower of London, another group visited St.Paul´s Cathedral, some others went to London Dungeon.
At 4 p.m. the whole group met again at the “Museum of London”. This museum has a nice shop where you can buy things like T-shirts, sweets, cards andso on. After our teachers had arrived we entered the museum: It started with the beginning: “London before London”. The next we saw was an exhibition on “The Great Fire of London” (1666) which destroyed almost the whole city, and so a lot of people died in this fire, which has become the most famous disaster in London´s history. We also saw an exhibition on the time of the Romans in London; there were spears, coins and jugs from that time. But there was so much else! So we listened for example to the story of the “Black Death”, the plague, in London (1348-1350) when half of the London population died. Horrible! The museum was very interesting and we took a lot of photos.
At 5.30 p.m. we all walked to Liverpool Street Station. On the way to the platform we saw the police having arrested two men; they were thieves!
Some of us ate at McDonald´s before we took the train back to Frinton at 6.15 from platform 14. At 7.45 p.m. we arrived at Frinton Railway Station and went home to our host families.
This day we saw a lot of interesting places, we had a lot of fun! It was really nice though exhausting!
(Alica Godzewski and Ina Bökemeyer, 9b)
- another report on our second trip to London: free time activities –
After our really amazing view over London from the London Eye our free-time began. Our small group took a walk through London and on our way we saw 7 (!) “Starbucks Coffee” shops.
Two of us bought some bits and pieces in big shopping avenues and we all saw very interesting shops selling various things. You can find nearly everything in London, from arc-lamps to zinc. At Apple-Market some of our friends bought joke articles which they will use at some of our classmates back in Germany… The shopping malls of London are really great. We’ve never seen something like that before.
London is also similar to big cities in Germany: multi-cultural! There are many people who were not born in England or northern Europe.
Security seems to be very important for the Londoners. In most shops you had to open your bags and in Harrods you weren’t even allowed to go through an entrance with more than four people. The remaining ones had to take an alternative entrance and there were many policemen around!
After our long free time we walked to the next station and went to our group meeting at the London Museum by tube. When our visit in the museum ended, the day in London was over and we took the train back to Frinton.
(Maximilian König, Christoph Kretschmann and Carsten Thiele, 9b)
- a third report on our second trip to London: free time activities –
When we were in Great Britain we also visited London and had a bit time to explore it and to do a lot of things with our friends. At first we went along the River Thames near the London Eye. The Thames Festival was on and we saw some characters of the film Pirates of the Caribbean and some others. Then we saw some skaters who did lots of difficult tricks and jumps and listened to some music from crazy instruments. Then we went in groups to the Covent Garden again. There some members our group bought some joke objects, like a “hot tea” or something like that. We went by Underground to get to the Museum of London, but when we arrived at Chancery Lane we were shocked because this station was closed for restoration. We were very thirsty, so we went to Starbucks Café, which is very famous all over the world! There we ate and drank something. We still had enough time to go by Underground to St. Paul´s near St. Paul´s Cathedral. There we sat on a bench for a long time and looked at London´s beautiful skyline. Later we saw some girls of our group and told them what we had done up to that time. Together we went to the Museum of London where we had to stay for a long time. Finally we walked to Liverpool Street and went home to Frinton by train.
(Maximilian König, Christoph Kretschmann and Carsten Thiele, 9b)
Sunday, 16th September ´07: day of departure – back to Bünde
At 11 a.m. some of us went to church (Frinton Free Church). The others had free-time. After church we all had free-time. Some went to “Walton Pier”, to the beach or just did other things.
At 6 p.m. we all met at Frinton Railway Station. The bus was already waiting for us.
Our host families had taken us to the meeting-point. We all had to say good-bye now…
The bus took us to Dover. Though we got in a traffic jam on our way, we were early enough to catch the ferry at 22.30 p.m. British time. The ferry left Dover shortly after we had driven on board. On our crossing the waves were very high and the ferry rocked up and down all the time so we had to be careful not to fall down.
The boat went to Calais in France. At 1 a.m. French time we arrived there.
We drove via France, Belgium and the Netherlands to Germany. At the border between the Netherlands und Germany we had a break.
Most of us were sleeping during the journey, because it was very early in the morning. (But all of us awoke before we arrived in Bünde).
At a service station near Osnabrück our bus driver Oktan left us, and we got a new driver.
After the break many of us phoned their parents and told them that we´d be at Bünde 1 hour later than it was planned, i.e. at 8 a.m. instead of 7 a.m.
At 8a.m. sharp we arrived at the market square.
Some of our classmates came outside to say “hello” to us, others went to their classes to say hello to them.
Most parents were already waiting in front of the school.
We all were very tired after the long journey!
(Rebecca Joumar and Nancy Partzsch, 9b)
