History Trip to Berlin

In the early morning of the first Saturday of the Christm

as holidays, when many Cranleighans were surely enjoying a well-earned rest, thirty dedicated V Form historians set off to the airport to fly to Berlin. Arriving in the city at lunchtime, the group took the U-Bahn to the East Side Gallery – a 1.3km stretch of the Berlin Wall, displaying paintings from over a hundred different artists. We were then very lucky to have a tour of the Reichstag, the German Parliament. Not only were the pupils able to learn about German politics and the history of the building, but they also enjoyed great views of the city from the glass dome.

The second day was particularly action-packed, starting with a walking tour of Berlin that included sights such as the Brandenburg Gate, the Memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe, and the site of Hitler’s bunker. A quick lunch was followed by some free time around a Christmas market, and then a visit to the Checkpoint Charlie museum to learn about the Berlin Wall. From here, we crossed the city to the Stasi Museum, a museum dedicated to State Security in East Germany due to the Cold War, and particularly interesting for those with an interest in James Bond style espionage! The evening allowed for some down time, with a meal at the Hard Rock Cafe providing good food and an opportunity to rest tired feet, followed by a fun hour spent at a local bowling alley.

The final day began with a trip out of the city centre to the Olympic Stadium, where the games of 1936 were held, and now the home of Hertha Berlin FC. We enjoyed a highly informative tour of the stadium, just leaving enough time to return to the city centre before the bus transfer back to the airport. By the time that the pupils landed back at Heathrow, they were very tired but had thoroughly enjoyed their visit to one of the most historically fascinating cities in Europe.

A huge thank-you must go to APF and SMP for their help with this trip, and their enthusiasm and good-humour at the end of a long term.

SLW

Russia Trip Easter 2010

During the Easter break the History and Politics department led Sixth Form pupils on a cultural tour of Moscow and St Petersburg. The party consisted of 13 pupils and three staff and the six-day programme involved visits to historical sites of Tsarist and Soviet Russia, as well as various excursions to places of contemporary interest. The trip started in St Petersburg and included a visit to the Winter Palace, site of the 1905 Revolution and Bolshevik takeover in October 1917. Taking an overnight sleeper train to Moscow was a thrill for all and marked the second leg of the tour. Disappointingly, the pupils were not to see a snow-shrouded Red Square in Moscow, but St Basil’s Cathedral was magnificent all the same. We were enthralled to see Lenin, lying in state in his marble mausoleum: a surreal experience even for those who had seen him before! The cultural high points of the tour were a visit to a folklore show, which involved traditional Russian singing and dancing, and a trip to the ballet to see Swan Lake in St Petersburg - not to mention the circus in Moscow!!

Fourth Form Visit WW1 Battlefields

During the final week of the term 44 Fourth Form pupils and five teachers visited the First World War Battlefields of Ypres and the Somme. We managed to pack in visits to the Flanders Museum in Ypres, Vimy Ridge and a preserved trench in the town of Albert, to name but a few. There were links, also, to the experiences of Old Cranleighans, with the pupils reading poems and laying a wreath at St George’s Chapel, the site of the School memorial plaque in Ypres, as well as at Tyne Cot cemetery. The two days were thoroughly enjoyable and the trip will, we hope, be repeated next year.