Stratford Trip
All of the Ashbourne A2 (students in their 2nd year of A level study) English students went on a trip to Stratford for a weekend in May, accompanied by the Director of Studies, John Wilson and his assistant Director of studies’, Breanne and James. Here is a student’s account of the weekend, and below this are some general student comments about this trip.
“We met at Marylebone station at 8.15 am on Saturday! Even though it was early, we were all very excited.
We arrived at Stratford, greeted by very pleasant warm weather. It was a lovely walk to the hostel, where we dumped our bags and headed into town. A few of us went rowing on the Avon, which proved to be a hugely entertaining experience. After tiring ourselves out, we visited Shakespeare’s birthplace, a smallish cottage in the centre of Stratford. It was amazing to think that the man himself came from such humble origins. In the evening we saw a production of ‘As You Like It’, which is a Shakespearean comedy. The play was much better than we expected, it was visually spectacular and really funny at times.
The next day we visited Anne Hathaway’s cottage; the grounds around the house were very beautiful. We had a pub lunch and then it was time to set off back to London. Everyone was tired, a lot of us were sunburnt but everyone had a thoroughly enjoyable time. A really memorable Ashbourne experience.”
“I had a really good weekend! Really wish it had been longer! Thanks James, John and Breanne and everyone who made the trip fun. Loved ‘As You Like It’. Thank you!”
“The atmosphere was wonderful, the scenery was beautiful, but it’s the amazing group (teachers and students alike) that made this trip truly memorable. A short trip ram-packed with funny stories and lasting memories.”
“I thoroughly enjoyed our trip to the Bard’s birthplace – a true pleasure prior to exams and the end of school. The play was astounding. Thanks Breanne for all your effort, and James and John too of course!”
“What a great weekend! Beautiful place, loads of laughs and smashing people. Was a wonderful idea to get away for the weekend! Couldn’t have been the same without the staff, James, John and Breanne are legends!”
“A beautifully shambolic weekend, which could not have been more enjoyable. A truly fantastic play and a brilliant weekend; harmony between everyone, disdain towards feet. Excellent, thank you,”
“We had great weather all weekend. A really pleasurable trip throughout, just the break we needed. I really enjoyed ‘As You Like It’.”
“Never took so many pictures in my life! One of the best trips ever! One thing missing though, Public Transport!”
“My wrists hurt, my feet are sore..but it was all worth it! Never seen so many puppies in one place and had relaxing walks. Would definitely come back”