The eagerly anticipated trip to London began at 10.30am on Sunday 29 November. Led by Mr Montgomery and Mrs Bradfield, we assembled at Belfast International Airport complete with hand luggage and suitcases, passports and high spirits. On arrival, after snatching a few sandwiches and drinks for the train journey from Luton Airport to London city centre, we all made our way to the Imperial Hotel London. We arrived at the hotel, checked in and relaxed until it was time to hit the streets of London in search of something to eat. The group split up, with some preferring to go to an Indian restaurant, others heading to a Chinese restaurant not far from the hotel. We still had some time to kill after dinner, and led by the teachers, went to visit St Pancras Station. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get as close as intended, due to a newly erected barrier, but despite this minor setback, the teachers quickly improvised with a tour of London’s Chinatown! It was amazing to see the brightness and liveliness of this area of London, and to begin to see the myriad of cultures and peoples our vibrant capital contains. A quick visit to a quirky little shopping arcade followed, before we finally made our way back via Trafalgar Square, Whitehall and Downing Street. On Monday morning we gathered at the hotel foyer after our full English breakfast. Today the plan was to go to Harrods, the famous store in the district of Knightsbridge. The hour we had to spend here was stretched to an hour and a half - even so it was barely enough time to see the floors filled with clothes, shoes, handbags, cosmetics, food, toys and more that Harrods has to offer. Despite most of their goods being well out of our budget, Harrods is still a must-see for visitors to London, thanks to its amazing interior and displays, including the Diana and Dodi Memorial, Egyptian floor and celeb clientele! After Harrods we grabbed some lunch and went on to our next stop: the Imperial War museum. Once the asylum known as "Bedlam", this building now houses what is essentially a monument and memorial to our country’s past. One of the first exhibitions on our list was the Holocaust Exhibition, an extremely worthwhile and thought-provoking sight, laid out over two floors. We soon found that an entire day could easily be spent in just one exhibition, which ranged from the Secret War to recent Conflicts and the experiences of children during the Blitz, to name but a few. Later on we had some more free time to grab a bite to eat and get ready for a guided tour of the City. Led by an absolutely fantastic tour guide, we learned some of the most interesting, gory, and funny stories of the City of London’s past. It was an unforgettable tour which was undoubtedly enjoyed by everyone there. Covent Garden was first on the list for Tuesday, packed with colourful market stalls, and plenty of shops, street entertainers and cafes. There was a great festive spirit in this beautiful, vibrant part of London. After lunch, we had the choice of splitting up and spending some time seeing the places we most wanted to see. By this time we were professionals on the London Tube, and the separate groups made their way to a variety of places, from the Supreme Court to the shopping district of Regent and Oxford Street, before returning tired but happy to the hotel. We soon freshened up and arrived at the Theatre Royal near Covent Garden for the much anticipated show, ’Oliver’. We were not disappointed. The show was out of this world, with the hilarious Omid Djalili as Fagin, and an amazingly talented cast - it was hard not to be impressed. Sadly, Wednesday was our last day in London. We arrived at the Palace of Westminster for our guided tour, having battled our way safely through ’rush-hour’ on the Tube. The tour of Westminster was very interesting, and gave us all an insight into what’s going on at the Houses of Parliament. We were shown the House of Lords, and also had the opportunity to sit in the viewers gallery of the House of Commons, listening in on a speech about the Equality Bill. As well as this, we were privileged to spend some time with Jeffrey Donaldson, our local MP. It was also interesting to notice the protests set up outside Westminster, including one man who has camped there as a protest against the Government since the war began in Iraq. Their position means that all members of the Government passing into Westminster can’t help but see their opposition and opinions on their decisions, right or wrong. We had another opportunity for some free time in the afternoon, with the choice of going on to visit St Pauls Cathedral or the surrounding area, or heading back into the centre to shop or relax. We returned to the Imperial Hotel to collect our baggage, and began the homeward journey to Kings Cross Station, then Luton Airport, and of course, on to Belfast International and home. There’s no doubt that we were all sad to say goodbye to London - the trip was both very educational and brilliant fun. The chance to see London and spend time in this lively and exciting city was one not to be missed - and thanks to the guidance and organisation of Mr Montgomery and Mrs Bradfield, and the company of our friends, we can safely say it’s a trip we’ll never forget.
