Days 9 - 11: GO THE COWBOYS! (And London)

Go the Cowboys!!!!

We met for our morning goodbyes to Queen's College and host families, buzzing with excitement and, for some (Mrs Ahern and Miss Kybus), anxiety with the knowledge the Cowboys semi-final kick off was only a couple of hours away. We had found a very kind publican in Salisbury who was willing to not only open his pub early for us, but also to pay the £100 pay TV subscription upgrade so that we were able to watch our boys' game. A big shout out to Danny's Craft Bar and Kitchen for their superb hospitality - lunch was delicious and most importantly, we got to (very loudly) yell and cheer the Cowboys to their victory and place in the grand final. This was a fantastic, and again for some (Mrs Ahern and Miss Kybus), an emotional start to our day and we were all so appreciative we got to watch the game. Very sadly the grand final will be while we are in the plane en route back to Oz, but we are working on talking to the airline about the possibility of airing the game on their live sport channel or at the very least, to get score updates. Where there's a will (and die hard loyalty) there's a way!

London Eye

Olympic Stadium, London

Jubilant from our win, we carried on and arrived in London for a ride on the London Eye so we could see the city and get our bearings. We then had just enough time to check into our hostel and get back onto the bus for our Saturday night plans - to cheer Wales to their victory over England in the World Cup, at a fanzone live site at Olympic Stadium. Here a massive screen was erected in the park, with food stalls and rides to keep us fed and entertained. With such a tightly contested game and our obvious support of Wales, it was a fantastic night and another rare opportunity to be involved with the fever of being local for the World Cup.

Big Ben

We arose early to breakfast and a walk into London. We crossed the impressive London Bridge, circled the Tower of London and found our hop on/off tour bus. We were blessed with absolutely perfect weather - brilliant, blue cloudless sky with warm sunshine and a cool breeze. Not always a common occurrence in London and we made the most of it by sitting on the open top of the bus. We went past iconic Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and walked to Buckingham Palace

My fair lady

 

The boys took the opportunity to practice their line-out at the gates of the palace - their dedication to constantly working on their game play no matter their location or circumstance is admirable.

 

We were then back on the bus to listen to our entertaining guide explain the history and significance of locations as we passed them. Finally, finally we arrived at the place the girls had been anticipating for the entire tour - the shining, glittering, bustling, splendid glory of the shops of Oxford Street. We spent an entire 2.5 hours (a long time on a busy tour like ours) lunching and shopping; the boys following Mr O'Dwyer to the sports warehouses and Rugby World Cup shop before hitting some designer stores, and the girls frantically going EVERYWHERE else.

Big Ben and Parliament

 

All of us now weighed down (some more heavily than others), we were off to Trafalgar Square to wander around, watch the incredible street performers or sit on the steps with the Londonites eating ice cream and drinking coffee. Having luckily secured tickets to a West End show, we took off towards Leicester Square to briefly peruse Covent Garden marketplace before finding the Ambassadors Theatre to watch 'Stomp'. This is a high energy show which uses the body and ordinary objects to create a physical theatre percussion performance. The drumming and physicality of the show was incredible.

We had dinner at a Mexican restaurant in Leicester Square, narrowly missing the premiere of 'The Intern' with Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway just outside the doors of the restaurant. Dinner was incredible but our day in London wasn't over yet ... With Brian having a rest day we had to navigate the Tube over a couple of stops to get back to the hostel. This was an experience for some students who had never used an underground train system before. Luckily, being a Sunday night it was very quiet and we were able to move as a big group easily.

Absolutely exhausted (but for all the right reasons), the youth hostel was a very welcome sight, as was the news that we would have a slightly slower and later start than usual the following morning. After breakfast in the hostel (with surprisingly almost French-worthy croissants) we reconnected with Brian and our bus, loaded up and were off back across the London Bridge to the Tower of London, where we had some time inside. Here we saw the absurdly extravagant Crown Jewels, and visited highly historic place such as the site where Anne Boleyn was killed and the Torture Towers. Not exactly a light-hearted affair but the grounds and castle are incredible and worth the visit, albeit a quick one.

Having said goodbye to Old London Town, we are now back on the bus and en route to Uppingham to begin our back-to-back school visits. As with all big trips, time has had the peculiar way of absolutely flying yet feeling like we have been away forever, as we have done so much. With four more nights with billets and only one night left as a group, we are determined to make the most of our final week away. Bring on the final two games!

 

 

Posted by K Kybus

Days 7 & 8 - Queen's College, Taunton

Royal Crescent, Bath

Roman Baths

After a quick walking tour of Bath, including the Royal Crescent (now very expensive residential apartments) and the Botanical Gardens, we grabbed some souvenirs and were off for the trip to Queen's College in Taunton. With news that both the rugby and netball games would be played outdoors, we all kept a nervous eye on the darkening clouds as we travelled closer to the college.

Queen's College

Another highly impressive and imposing castle-like structure welcomed us. After meeting our incredibly friendly Queen's PE staff, we were up to the dining hall for lunch with the other students. Queen's was built in 1843 and all students eat lunch in the dining room; so the beautiful wooden and stained glass room had a constant flood of students coming in and out.

A Queen's lunch

We were then back to change for training and a warm up. Dr McEwen took the students through some lengthy stretching while the girls tested out the non-slip outdoor court. This process was delayed slightly by the need to clean off all the walnuts shells left by badgers, who have the strange habit of stealing walnuts from a tree about 100m away, and carrying them onto the netball court to crack them open (despite all the concrete they have to run on to get to the court in the first place). Unfortunately the boys' game began during the second half of the girls' match, however, the netball court and football field run right next to each other, so we were able to keep an eye on both games.

The girls played another terrific game of netball, finding some stronger competition from the Queen's girls, especially in the first quarter which was tightly contested. They found their groove and came away with a 24-2 win, despite a torn shoe sole, a slightly twisted ankle and a few slips and falls.

The boys had a sensationally entertaining game. At half time the score was even, though Queen's took a 20-10 win in the end. We couldn't be happier with the game play of the boys - there were some big hits and very tough defense from both sides. We had our first injury for the tour with JC popping out his shoulder and Dr McEwen very kindly popping it back in place. X-Rays at hospital showed there was no additional damage and despite the sling he is currently sporting, JC is doing well and already keen to get back into the ring. Being the beginning of their rugby season and having not yet played much, the Queen's boys found it very tough going, with one newbie commenting it was the hardest few minutes of his life. We put up a tremendous fight and the boys should be proud.

Presentations by the captains

With afternoon tea and presentations from both schools - and Ben Thompson being awarded MVP of the day - it was time to meet host families or boarding parents, and head off for the night.

MVP

The next day we were lucky enough to experience a whole school assembly. With only 500 students and being a Methodist college, this was a unique experience from the assemblies we are used to at TGS. The focus of the day's assembly was singing hymns, with the Director of Music going through some helpful hints and suggestions before leading the entire school through a series of hymns.

We then decided to pass on training to give the students some much desired down time. The prefect room is quite remarkable - a flat screen tv with the equivalent of Fox connected, a pool table, ping pong table (which kept teachers and students occupied for a long time), kitchen with toast and tea/coffee making facilities, plenty of couches and tables to stretch out playing cards and read, and access down to the fields for a run. Some of the boys elected to go for a swim in the heated indoor pool.

Wookey caves

Then we were off for our afternoon excursion - Wookey Hole. What a bizarre place. The main attraction of the Wookey Hole is their system of caves several hundred feet underground. We did a tour of these with our eccentric guide and they really were incredible to walk through. However, upon exiting the caves there was also what we have dubbed 'Dinosaur Valley', a section of out of theme dinosaur and giant animal statues, then there was a paper making demonstration, a hall of mirrors and indoor playground, a mini-golf course and a pirate themed cafe .... Not to mention witch themed mini attractions, in line with the legend that the Wookey Hole caves were once inhabited by a witch who, along with her dog, were turned to stone by a local priest. It was a fun and silly way to spend an afternoon

Dinosaur Valley

Feeling somehow enlightened and confused at the same, we were back to school for a final night with host families. We are very appreciative to Queen's College for so warmly hosting us. One more sleep til the big one - London, come at us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by K Kybus

Day 6 - Rugby World Cup (and Bath)!

The students bid their Seaford College host families good bye and we were off for the trip to Bath. We had a very quick check into our accommodation before we embarked on a walk through the surrounding area of shops, cafes, beautiful architecture and, of course, the Roman Baths. As our purpose in Bath was mainly as a portal to Cardiff, we unfortunately did not have time to visit inside the baths, however the external area was lovely. Refuelled and stretched, we were back with Brian on the bus for the trip to Wales.

There are no words that can describe the experience of a group of 40 Aussies at a World Cup. We threw ourselves into the crowds of the closed streets of Cardiff and you could instantly feel the buzz of excitement amongst the community of tens of thousands of people.

Now, you know you're making a spectacle of yourself when your group becomes a tourism attraction itself. Our Wallaby and Aussie clad group followed our self-appointed leader, Wade (complete with Australian flag fastened to a selfie stick), through the masses dancing and singing (screaming) Waltzing Mathilda with people lining the streets to video tape and photograph us.

The real main attraction of the evening - Australia v Fiji - was unbelievable. Millennium Stadium closed the roof due to the threat of rain, which meant that every whistle blow, every chant from the crowd and every gasp from the other 68 000 people during the game reverberated and could be clearly heard. The stadium is a rather steep incline from the field, which means that no matter where you sit, you have an excellent view of the players and field. Australia thankfully won, which led to more celebrating in the streets after.

Once again, we attracted huge amounts of attention as we moved through the partying streets of Cardiff; many Aussies coming over to dance and sing with us, many Fijians and English coming over in what can only be described as a nose to nose screaming anthem battle.

Chippie Lane

We followed the advice of our Seaford friends and found Chippie Lane ... An alley full of fish and chip stalls - a favourite of the group being thick chips with English gravy and melted cheese on top.

It was very sadly time to depart the electric atmosphere of Cardiff for the return trip to Bath. A massive thank you to Mr Derrett who went to great pains to ensure he was able to secure us tickets to a World Cup game - it was one of the most incredible experiences any of us has ever had; staff and students alike can be guaranteed that this night will be one that we will never forget.

 

Posted by K Kybus

Days 4 & 5 - Seaford College

We departed the beautiful green forests of Ypres for the journey back to France, for our departure from Calais. Here we processed through immigration and boarded our P&O ship (most excitedly with Starbucks coffee) for the trip across the English Channel.

Before long, the white cliffs of Dover were in sight and we were disembarking on English soil, to meet our bus driver, Brian, who would be with us for the remainder of the trip. Off to Dover Castle where some kids took in a quick tour of the impressive structure, while others chose to run off their cabin fever Robin Hood style through the nearby woods and roll down the hills (Amy) in suspicious looking ivy. Luckily everyone survived the treacherous rampage in the forest and we were off to Seaford College.

Arriving at this school was as impressive as any of the tourist sites visited so far - from the second we entered through the large iron gates and drove through rolling green hills of football fields (as one of the girls commented, 'getting tackled will be like falling into a soft green pillow'), soccer fields, hockey fields and the castle-like buildings nestled into the fog covered forested hills. Here the students met their host families, had a quick tour and were off for the night.

The following morning was an excited buzzing of stories from the night before and how well they had gotten to know their host families. A variety of living conditions from sharing a house packed to the brim with English students and other billets from around the world, to boys in the rather opulent boarding houses, to some kids who had entire floors of rather large houses to themselves. This diversity is what makes the billeting experience so unique and valuable. A proper tour of the school began our morning and then we were straight into training. This was a welcome relief for nearly all students who were itching for a run.

Seaford College

After lunch in the nearby town of Chichester, it was finally time for the big games. In very cold and drizzly conditions, which was abnormal for the TGS team, the boys were up first and put on an impressive show. The first half was very closely contested but unfortunately Seaford ran away with a win in the second half, with a final score of 28-7. With all boys having a run on field and many suffering from travel cramps, we were really pleased with how well they played and held their own. This game helped us to iron out the creases before playing the remaining three schools.

The netball girls were up next in the newly renovated gym, and with roaring cheering and support from the rugby boys, the girls ran away with a 51-8 victory. As with the rugby team, all girls got a run on court and found their groove in some new positions and as a team. They were obviously delighted to have such a strong win for their first game.

We were treated to an afternoon tea of hot pasta and fresh sandwiches in the 'mansion building' (the castle), with a brief stop en route to watch an early primary golf academy class where Sheldon received a few pointers from the PE teacher. Based on his swing, it's reasonable to say he should probably stick to rugby ...

 

In the mansion building, gestures of thanks were presented from both schools. Seaford nominated an MVP award and gift to each team, with Patrick Wall and Tahryn Kellie earning the nod for their excellent game play and sportsmanship.

 

The kids were then ushered home for a final night with their host families, with many students later reporting that the big day of training and games resulted in very early nights to bed.

MVPs

We had an absolutely brilliant couple of days at Seaford College, and were astounded at the level of hospitality that they provided. This is what we hope to be the beginning of a long friendship between the two schools.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by K Kybus

UK contact details

Hi all friends and family of the touring party,

We are having some issues in translation from the app to the website with the formatting of the blog which, despite several attempts at School and abroad, we cannot seem to fix. Apologies for the awkward formatting but hopefully the information and photos provide interest and comfort for those at home. It does seem to look better when viewed as a mobile site (an option down the bottom of the blog page) when using a smart phone.

More importantly, we are now connected in the UK. Any parent who needs to make contact Mr Derrett for emergencies only, he can be contacted on +447493241254.

 

Posted by K Kybus

Days 2 & 3 - The Battlefields of France and Belgium

After our departure from Paris we drove the two hours to Villers-Bretonneux to meet our tour guide Jackie Bedford. Jackie is an ex-army and ex-police officer who defected to France from the UK and knows the intricacies of the wars and every battle with such detail that every undulated piece of land over the next couple of days took totally new meaning. She was a brilliant and essential element to out tour.

We began at the Australian school and museum - after WW1 every school child in Victoria donated a penny to build this school for the children of the small and utterly destroyed villages in the region. Here, Jackie gave the touring group an explanation of the politics of WW1 and how the Somme was geographically broken into various battles and front lines.

We then went to the nearby Australian War Memorial with a spectacular view over the countryside. The memorial was in pristine condition and is obviously very well maintained. In another serendipitous moment, as we were departing, the Rugby boys from Ignatius Park College were arriving. Lots of excited handshakes, photos and quick catch ups between the kids before we were off to explore more of the countryside. Into our accommodation and dinner in Peronne, a walk of the small village and a tour meeting, before either turning in or watching the World Cup in the common room

The next morning started in a more light hearted manner with the inaugural presentation of our punishment and reward system. Each day two students are selected to spend the day wearing the very embarrassing and over the top French chefs hats we bought in Paris. The day before, these students may have been late, held the group up for some reason, or said or did something foolish. We also have the desired immunity pin (TGS badge) for acts of selflessness or initiative. The immunity pin protects the wearer from any act that may have resulted in the fool's hat the following day. Finn and Amy chose a great day to earn their hats, as with the obviously respectful and serious nature of our touring day they did not have to wear it in public as much as they otherwise may have.

Then, down to business and we began to meander through the countryside of the Somme and into Belgium, visiting the memorials of the 5 divisions on the Australian Army, walking through trenches, visiting the sites of some of the more significantly sized craters from bombings (most notable the explosions of Hill 60) and hearing detailed expansions of the tunneling and political movements and strategies that led the allies to eventually push back the Germans. It was devastating to read the stories of the brave men who fought, to walk on soil which is "more densely sown with Australian sacrifice than any other place on earth", and to pass seemingly meaningless dirt roads and woods with alarming names like 'Casualty Corner' and 'Dead Man's Road', and listening to the associated events and meanings

In what turned out to be a wonderful lunch break, we stopped in the small French town of Arras. This is one of the largest medieval squares in France and its cathedral has been voted one of France's most beautiful monuments. As we walked the cobblestone streets, we were treated a very loud travelling drumming group which brought the energy levels of the town up tremendously. A lovely and much needed break!

Crossing into Belgium was somewhat anti-climatic - no Mexican-style custom control with soldiers and guns as some hoped for; in fact not even a sign .... As Jackie pointed out, the only difference was that as the road we were driving on turned right to follow the invisible border line, the cars parked in the driveways of the houses on the left suddenly had Belgium license plates while the cars several meters across the road on the right had French plates. Here we visited Tyne Cot, the world's biggest Commonwealth war cemetery.

Belgium proved to be an absolutely stunning country and the day's touring culminated in the closing ceremony at Menin Gate in Belgium. Ypres is a stunning, Flemish speaking town and the night time ceremony was everything you would expect. The Menin Gate ceremony pays respect to the soldiers who died in battle in Belgium but whose bodies were never recovered. This ceremony can attract up to 1000 people and each night they read the story of one of the thousands of men on the honor roll. That evening the story was of a young Victorian man who committed many brave acts and was injured by the Germans, only to be devastatingly killed by his own side. The sounds of the three trumpeters playing the Last Post which reverberated around the gate, and the choir singing as wreaths were laid was incredibly sobering. Tahryn Kellie and Ben Thompson, as respective Netball and Rugby Captains, crossed the bridge to lay a wreath on behalf of our school. We received and overheard so many comments about how smart the group looked in their uniforms and how excellent their conduct was, which of course made us very proud.

Ypres, Belgium

This big day of touring finished up with a late dinner in a local restaurant, followed by ice cream in the square under one of the most impressive cathedrals we have ever seen. A brilliant couple of days which set a wonderful tone for the beginning of the UK component of our tour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by K Kybus