High School Band Trip to England

It was a cold and windy day on March 16th, 2008. This was day we got off a plane from an eight-hour, leg cramping fight to London, England. Yet even now the dreary weather and long flight could not bring us down. The Chestermere High School concert band was so thrilled just to be there that nothing so minor as the weather really mattered. Our group stayed in London for most of the time but we also went to Stratford Upon Avon and Harrogate where we stayed in Queen Ethelburga’s boarding school.

As there was one other school from Calgary slowing our progress through customs, we grew inpatient to manage our way through the labyrinthine maze of velvet ropes and guards, get our luggage and head out the doors. It felt as though an eternity passed before we finally swung wide the front doors at Heathrow Airport. Before us stood a pair of long, jet black tour busses with deeply tinted windows. After getting our luggage stowed into the under carriage of the bus and everyone was seated and buckled in, we departed for our first hotel. The shock that cam with the feeling of driving what felt the wrong side of the road, soon passed as our tour guide immersed us in tales of Great Britain’s rich heritage. The hotel itself was historic in nature, it was small and old, yet quite exquisite. Standing beneath the gold leafed roof, we began split up into our rooming groups. Three classmates in one small room, “I’m sure this will be interesting.” I thought to my self as I strode into the elevator.

We had just a few short minutes to get settled into our rooms before it was time to depart for a walking tour of the area. Ten students and two adults comprised one group. My group went on our way down the street and another until we came acro...

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...hool, we woke up with snow on the ground. Our group was told that it had not snowed there in twelve years before this day.

After spending three days at Queen Ethelburga’s and Harrogate we headed back to London. On our way back the buses stopped, we got out and realized we were in Cambridge and the group was going to go on a tour of the University Of Cambridge. We got to go into many of the buildings that make up the University. Also we learned about the history behind the eight hundred year old school. However it was time to move on back to London for are last day.

The trip I did with my high school band to England, was a trip I will never forget. Over all we were there for seven days, we spent are nights in three different places and saw many historical points from all throughout history. We gained countless valuable insights while we were there.