The Form 6 Chateau Trip

By Archie Powell – Main School Head Boy

It was on the night of the 1^st of October 2016 that Form 6 embarked on a year defining trip to France.  The trip would last a week and would be filled with amazing activities that were designed to teach us what we are capable of under-pressure, (and yes, I do mean being asked to speak French). As Form 6 said goodbye to their parents that night, it was then that we realised that we were never going to forget the journey that lay ahead of us, (and I don’t mean the coach trip).

One of the most memorable moments of the trip was the emotional visit to the D-Day Landings memorial at Gold Beach. It was captured by British and Allied Forces in order to build a makeshift harbor that would allow ships to bring supplies into mainland Europe from America and Britain. Once we had learned about how the harbour was built and how much of a key role it played in the liberation of Europe, we visited the nearby three-hundred-sixty degree cinema where we watched a film made from eyewitness accounts of D-Day from the French people of the time. The film was deeply moving and helped us to understand the importance of June 6^th 1944 as not only a day that went down in history but also a day that secured the future of the entire world. The day was rounded off with a perspective-setting visit to a Military Cemetery that reminded all the pupils that those men and women gave their today, so that we could enjoy ours.

The whole trip was extremely interesting and exciting. I’m sure that it will stay as one of the best weeks in Form 6’s time at Cundall.

By Charlie Banks – Main School Head Girl

On the night we set off to France, everyone wore big smiles and even though it was midnight and no one could lift their suitcases, everyone was excited for the trip. By the time we were about 2 hours into the journey we realised what time it was and fell asleep.

When we arrived, it was the afternoon the next day. On the first day, we had a tour around the chateau and had some food which was so different and tasty (except from the snails obviously!) Then we were split into groups to do activities with. During the week we made bread, which was a lot of fun, had an interesting French lesson, had fun canoeing, especially when we capsized a few times, and finally completed the Mud Run. The clue is in the name with the Mud Run – a lot of mud, obstacles and running but mountains of fun.

On Tuesday we visited a French market and bought nearly everything there, then we went to see the Bayeux tapestry which was fascinating and went on and on and on!

On Thursday, we went to ‘Mont Saint Michel’ which was absolutely beautiful and truly breathtaking. Last but not least we went to the Normandy memorial cemetery which was very emotional and nearly everyone was crying.

To see some more of the Chateau Trip 16/17 pictures, visit the Cundall Manor School Flickr page at www.flickr.com/photos/cundallmanorschool/albums/72157674806472382