YOUR PROGRAMME DAY BY DAY

Transcription

1 LONDON YOUR PROGRAMME DAY BY DAY

2 DAY ONE - Monday 19th MORNING PRAGUE AIRPORT Be at airport Check in closes Departs FLIGHT 8544 Arrives Gatwick at COACH TO OUR HOSTEL CHECK IN GET SOME FOOD AFTERNOON ORIENTATION Walk to see 10 of the most famous sights of London and a great view from the top of the London Eye AIRPORT flight leaves at am Please arrive by Check- in opens at & closes at Terminal One. Meet Wayne and Mrs R at the little cafe near the Departure lounge so we can check you off our list. You are allowed one carry-on bag up to 7 kilos and one hold bag up to 20 kilos (but leave space and weight for souvenirs) No scissors, liquids or pastes in the carry-on bag. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU ARRIVE ON TIME BECAUSE WE HAVE A GROUP TICKET AND MUST ALL GO THROUGH CHECK-IN TOGETHER. DO NOT FORGET YOUR PASSPORT FLIGHT 8544 EASYJET PRAGUE TO LONDON GATWICK (Arrive 11.10) On arrival in London Leaders make sure you have everyone and ALL luggage before we leave the airport to catch the private coach into London. On arrival at St Christopher Inn We are staying at St Christopher Inn, Borough High Street. The Boys are with Wayne at the hostel over the pub. The girls are with Mrs R at Oasis which is a female only hostel about 150 metres up the road. Breakfast is at the main hostel. The boys have 2 X 4 bed rooms and the girls have two 8 bed rooms. The main hostel has a cafe called Bellushi s, a cinema, lounges, microwave ovens, internet facilities, and a dance area with bar. Something to eat Borough High Street is in the heart of South London. There are lots of little cafes and supermarkets where you can get something to eat. RULE: No-one must be out on the street alone - - EVER! There must always be two or more of you going to shops and cafes. Try different foods, go to different places and PLEASE, include everyone, don t just stick with your friends all the time. The area is safe if you stay in groups. ORIENTATION Be ready at 4.30pm We are only minutes from London Bridge and a fantastic cultural area called The South Bank. It is Monday, a working day but even so, it will be lively and fun. We are going to walk along the river. We ll walk past Sir Francis Drake s ship The Golden Hind, we ll see ALL the great sights of London, and we ll go to see an amazing 4D show before going on The London Eye. We ll explore The West End which includes Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, The Houses of Parliament, Big Ben - - well, you ll see!

3 DAY TWO Tuesday 20th MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON TODAY IT IS IMPORTANT WE LEAVE ON TIME 9AM OUTSIDE BELUSHI S JACK THE RIPPER You will return to the scene of London's most infamous crimes in Jack the Ripper and the East End, the first exhibition that explored the Jack the Ripper murders and their legacy. You will see original material, photos and letters about these horrible murders. This is an interactive session with professional presenters. You ll also discover what was life REALLY like in this terrible and very dangerous part of London at the end of the 19 th Century. LATER IN THE AFTERNOON GREENWICH OBSERVATORY AND MERIDIAN LINE Greenwich (pronounced Gren rhymes with Ben ich rhymes with itch so Gren itch) We ll take the Docklands Light Railway (a train with no driver!) to Greenwich and walk past The Cutty Sark once the fastest ship in the world and walk up to the Greenwich Observatory where you can stand with a foot on either side of the Greenwich Meridian, the zero degree longitude. EVENING Something to eat in Greenwich then back home via river ferry Fish and Chips in Greenwich town then back to the city by river ferry

4 DAY Three - Wed 21st MORNING Battle of Britain Memorial BATTLE OF BRITAIN MEMORIAL Czechoslovakian pilots fought and died in the Battle of Britain. We haven t forgotten them. We ll read their names and see their squadron emblems on the memorial. The people of Britain spoke loudly to make sure the names of the Czechoslovakian pilots were placed on this monument in the very heart of London. AFTERNOON The Globe Theatre EVENING A meal in China Town SHAKESPEARE S GLOBE Imagine being taught by a Shakespearian actor from the Globe Theatre in London. Well, you will be! We ll have a tour of the theatre, we ll see many costumes used, then we ll be taken to a training room where we ll learn how to develop our acting skills. The focus will be ROMEO AND JULIET. China town After a coffee near the globe we ll walk to the West End. We ll stop in Regents Street to have a look at the shops and then we ll move to China Town. Maybe spend a while looking at the strange things in the shops and the restaurant windows before splitting into groups and going for a meal

5 DAY FOUR Thursday 22nd MORNING We are off to Camden Market AFTERNOON We will walk along Regent s Canal, see Abbey Road Studio and visit The National Gallery EVENING CAMDEN MARKET I love Camden and so will you! Have your breakfast, meet in the cinema at 9.15am and let s be on the road at 9.30am please. So, what is it? You ll come out of the tube station to find a high street with shops selling a wide range of clothing and weird things. But, as you start to explore, you ll find lots of other little markets. DON T miss the Stables Market it is quite different! DON T just buy sandwiches or fast food. Experiment and be daring. Try something different you won t die! REGENTS CANAL A canal runs right through the middle of London. It goes through Regents Park and past London Zoo and some millionaire homes. It is wonderful to be in the middle of a huge city and yet find such peace and quiet. We will walk along the canal for about 2 kms. Don t fall in! Canals were built during the Industrial Revolution to bring produce to the capital. It was then shipped to the British Empire and to other countries too. Depending on how tired you all are, we can walk home, tube home or stay in the West End PICCADILLY CIRCUS TRAFALGAR SQUARE The National Gallery is in Trafalgar Square and closes at 6pm

6 DAY FIVE Friday 23rd MORNING We are off to Brixton Market, Europe s largest. AFTERNOON London Blitz Experience. It is an air raid shelter in an old tube station. EVENING Champagne Dinner and Sharon s None Birthday 7.30PM Smart casual dress code. No backpacks BRIXTON MARKET THE BIGGEST CARRIBEAN MARKET IN EUROPE THE BLITZ (2PM) We are going into an old tube station that was used during the war. We ll see, hear, smell and feel how it felt to be in London when bombs were falling all around us. Air raids on London began in September This was the start of the Blitz. Lots of other places were bombed, including industrial cities and ports such as Birmingham, Coventry, Southampton, Sheffield, Manchester, Liverpool, Hull & Glasgow. In 1944, Britain faced attacks from new weapons. First came the V-1, a robot 'flying bomb'. Then there was the V-2, a rocket which flew so fast people couldn t see or hear it coming. Brixton is in South London. In the 1950 s Jamaicans started to settle in this area. When I lived in South London in the 1970s Brixton wasn t a safe place to be after dark. There is still high unemployment among black young men, so there is a gang culture here. The market is safe, dynamic and great fun. THE UNION JACK CLUB Dinner at a club for serving British soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines as well as veterans like me. It is a huge privilege to be permitted to visit this private club. We ll have a look at the various displays, especially the Victoria Cross area. The VC is Britain s highest award for bravery in the face of the enemy. We will sit down to a fine dining dinner, with champagne. SMART CASUAL DRESS. We will have time to go home and get changed before the dinner. No backpacks are allowed because of security. No sneakers or untidy jeans.

7 DAY SIX Saturday 24th SATURDAY IS SHOPPING DAY BOROUGH MARKET Three different venues. We start in the amazing Borough Market. I read that this market was used by William Shakespeare, but obviously it was a bit different back then!! Now it is a market where you can buy affordable gourmet food. There are a few pubs nearby. Don t get caught in them! Experiment and try something new. HARRODS - KNIGHTSBRIDGE Then we re at the ten star shopping palace that is Harrods. Finally we re off to Covent Garden, home of the opera and for us a market full of atmosphere and free entertainment Most people would say that Harrods is the most famous and most prestigious shop in the world. They sell items priced in the millions of pounds but you CAN buy things you can afford. Honestly! Ladies check out the toilets, they are truly 5 star! There are LOTS of rules. I ll tell you when we arrive. COVENT GARDEN The name Covent Garden dates back to when the area belonged to Westminster Abbey and was a Convent Garden. This was London's wholesale fruit and vegetable market for many years. In 1980 Covent Garden was turned into a leisure area featuring novelty shops, restaurants, cafes and pubs. Lots and lots of things to see and do. It is also the venue for a weekly antique market and craft fairs. The free entertainment is usually VERY good so keep your eyes open for it.

8 DAY SEVEN Sunday 25th MORNING Brick Lane A great area for fantastic Bangla food and music AFTERNOON Visit to the Royal Naval College to see the Painted Hall, explained to us by a drama presentation BRICK LANE LONDON E1 Every Sunday there is a street market at Brick Lane. Unless it is raining hard, we will be walking there. This is the centre of the Bangladeshi community in London and the street is full of Indian and Bangla restaurants and food stalls. Try some, not all of it is chilli hot and all of it is delicious. You ll also find food from other parts of the world so any student found eating American fast food will have to eat raw chilli!!!! NO MACDONALDS KFC BURGER KING SUBWAY - SANDWICHES IN THE AFTERNOON WE RE BACK IN GREENWICH Got to be there by 3pm. Starts at 3.30pm Meet the creator of the amazing interior of the Painted Hall, Sir James Thornhill, the first English artist to receive a knighthood. Hear about his influences, his techniques and his rivals and just why it took 19 years to complete his masterpiece. WHO IS Admiral Lord Nelson? WHAT IS Greenwich famous for? WHO WAS Emma Lady Hamilton?

9 DAY EIGHT Monday 26th MORNING & AFTERNOON Cycling in Richmond Park We celebrate Klara s birthday at the Hard Rock Cafe Richmond Park is London's largest Royal Park and the largest urban park in Europe, covering an area of 2,500 acres and has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a National Nature Reserve. The Park has changed little over the centuries and, although it is surrounded by human habitation, the varied landscape of hills, woodland gardens and grasslands set among ancient trees abounds in wildlife. The royal connections to this park probably go back further than any of the others, beginning with Edward I ( ), when the area was known as the Manor of Sheen. Richmond Park was established in its present form in 1625 by Charles I, who brought his court to Richmond Palace to escape the plague. He turned the area on the hill above Richmond into a hunting park for red and fallow deer. We will have modern bikes for a two hour ride in the park. KLARA S BIRTHDAY THE WORLD S FIRST HARD ROCK CAFE OPENED IN 1971 IN LONDON AND THAT S WHERE YOU ARE GOING TONIGHT. MAKE SURE YOU STAND UP AND WALK AROUND TO SEE ALL THE AMAZING ITEMS ON DISPLAY. IF YOU VE GOT ANY FRIENDS IN LONDON THIS IS A GOOD PLACE TO BRING THEM ALONG TO MEET EVERYONE. THEY LL PAY ABOUT 25 (but it s free for YOU of course)

10 DAY NINE Tuesday 27th MORNING Interactive drama and workshop about Charles Dickens Dickens in Context The Victorians 10am till 2pm Learn all about WHY Dickens wrote HIS stories AFTERNOON Portobello Road Market in famous Notting Hill EVENING We celebrate Nikki s Birthday by attending the inspiring and quite wonderful musical Billy Elliot NIKKI S BIRTHDAY Our last night? What a brilliant way to end the trip. And after the show, a meal maybe and a slow walk home?

11 DAY TEN Wednesday 28th MORNING There is a little room where we can put our luggage after check out. Don t forget your free breakfast today LUNCH Lunch at a pub used by Dickens and and Shakespeare. PUB LUNCH AT THE GEORGE INN Dating from the 17th century this public house is London's last remaining galleried inn. If it is nice weather we will eat outside, if not we ll try to reserve tables inside. You usually don t have to wait too long for a table anyway. The food is typical British pub food which in many ways is similar to good Czech pub food. The George was worthy of a mention by Charles Dickens in his novel Little Dorrit. George Inn The George Inn Yard, 77 Borough High Street, Southwark, London SE1 1NH Telephone: BACK TO PRAGUE The bus leaves at and take us back to Gatwick for our flight back to Prague When we arrive back in Prague DO NOT just take your bags and disappear. WAIT!! We will ALL walk through the doors together as a civilised group and say goodbye to each other. This is important! Don t just take off because you got your bags first. We need to make sure all your luggage has arrived and that your parents are waiting. FLIGHT 8547 Check in opens Departs Arrive Prague 21.20

12 A lot of you have asked about free time. We will do our very best to make sure you have times when you are not tied to your teachers every second of every day. However, we ARE responsible for you and for your safety, so we can t just let you go off on your own without any plan. So here is what will happen. When we are in markets you will be allowed to go off and shop, eat and just be with your friends. The same will happen when we go to Brick Lane, Camden Market, China Town and Covent Garden Market. When we are in museums, and at The Globe and the theatre, we will of course have training sessions together, but there will be times to go and explore the museums on your own too. In Richmond Park we will all be given a bicycle. I m not yet sure if we will go riding together, or whether we will go in little groups. I am worried that in Britain people ride on the opposite side of the road and I don t want any dead students! The time when we MUST be together, such as at the Hard Rock Cafe, Union Jack Club and the rock musical are times that I hope will still be fun. THE WRONG TYPE OF FREE TIME What we will NOT be doing is just lying around doing nothing. When you get back to Prague you will be amazed at just how much we have done. This is a high energy trip with every day filled to the top with activity. I know you ll enjoy it.

13 Your phone will work in the UK, however be careful! Don t double the price of your holiday by making unnecessary calls back to CZ. The same with internet access - it is going to be costly so keep it to a minimum. Food costs pretty much the same as in Prague but there is MUCH more variety. Experiment try something different be adventurous. Minimum needed 150 more if your parents are cool. The one BIG thing I want you all to understand is that there is safety in numbers. What that means is that you must NEVER be out on the street, in a shop or anywhere on your own. If you need to go to the shop from the hostel you must TELL SOMEONE and go with a friend. This is what happens if you are found eating American fast food!!

14 INFORMATION LONDON LIFE THREATENING ONLY 999 YOU ARE STAYING AT: St Christopher Inn Borough High Street Nearest Tube 3 stations are: LONDON BRIDGE or - BOROUGH WAYNE (UK MOBILE) (CZECH MOBILE) Mrs Rejmisova (CZECH MOBILE) UK COUNTRY CODE +44 Czech Republic COUNTRY CODE +420 NO EARPHONES IN THE STREET. Why? Traffic drives on the left and you need to be concentrating and listening. WE WILL NEVER SEND A STRANGER TO GET YOU. So, if you are lost, alone or in a group in the street or in a shop, do not believe anyone who says they have been sent to get you. Always stay in busy public places if you are separated from the group. We never send anyone to the hostel to get you. If it s not one of us, be suspicious. If you get separated from the group. DON T MOVE. Before you start sending text messages and making phone calls FIND OUT WHERE YOU ARE. Read a street sign ask someone go into a shop and ask. DONT let anyone show you the way. STAY WHERE YOU ARE. If you are lost in a tube station check to see if you have a mobile signal. If you do, send an sms saying EXACTLY which platform you are on. If you have no signal go to street level where you will get a signal but DO NOT leave the tube station. You should always know where we are going and where the next meeting point is.

15 Tuesday 20 th March Jack the Ripper Tuesday 27 th March Dickens in Context JACK THE RIPPER This session offers an opportunity to investigate the conditions of the East End at the time of Jack the Ripper. In atmospheric Sailor-town students will meet Constable Albert Long, a policeman working in Whitechapel, to find out about the problems faced by the police in the Victorian East End. The day also includes a sources workshop where students investigate contemporary images and objects to discover more about life at the time, and the final part of the day is an opportunity to investigate the First Port of Empire and City & River galleries with our focused activities. You should know: Who is Jack the Ripper? Where is the East End? What does Victorian England mean? How bad was the life of a poor person? Dickens in Context We are going to experience life in London during the Victorian era. We will see a drama that explores poverty, child labour (children working) and how the Industrial Revolution saw a rise in the middle classes (people who are not poor not rich) These are the people and places Dickens wrote about. It will help you to put Dickens in a historical context. The day also includes exploring the Dickens and London exhibition. You will touch and

16 BILLY ELLIOT One of the most celebrated, award-winning musicals on stage today, Billy Elliot has been dazzling London s West End since 2005, and has gone on to captivate audiences around the world. Set in a northern mining town, against the background of the 1984/ 85 miners strike, Billy Elliot is the inspirational story of a young boy s struggle against the odds to make his dream come true. Follow Billy s journey as he stumbles out of the boxing ring and into a ballet class where he discovers a passion for dance that inspires his family and whole community and changes his life forever. With unforgettable music by Elton John, sensational dance and a powerful storyline, this astonishing theatrical experience will stay with you forever. Now seen by over 7.5 million people worldwide, there s never been a better time to see Billy Elliot the Musical. VICTORIA PALACE THEATRE TUESDAY 27 TH MARCH Evening Performance

17 Czechoslovakian pilots in the Royal Air Force YOUR TASK Please find and photograph the three Squadron plaques of 310, 311 and 312 Squadron Royal Air Force. These squadrons were manned by your ancestors. They fought for the cause of freedom and to defeat Hitler. They defended Britain. Their contribution to the Battle of Britain is acknowledged and honoured by this memorial.

18 How to enjoy your trip to London more. Top 5 tips Experiment! Try new things. Eat new foods, enter different restaurants, have a mango lassi in Brick Lane. Open your eyes to new experiences. (a lassi is made with yoghurt, creamy milk, fresh fruit and is like a very special milk shake) 2 Talk to people!! You speak English, so talk to people in the markets, in shops. You ll find Londoners are happy to talk to strangers. 3 Open your eyes!!!! Walking along the street playing with your mobile phone or wrapped in conversations with friends means you ll miss some amazing things really just look. 4 Read before you go. Who is Dickens, what was The Battle of Britain, who was Boudiccea? Read about London s history, geography and the culture of the people of London. 5 Get fit. We are going to walk a lot, simply because it is the absolute best way to see London. Looking at London from the top of a tourist bus is really really silly!! You will get tired, but getting home tired is the sign of a good day. Most days are VERY full of activity. BUT, there will be lots of rests in cafes, parks and interesting places.

19 The river is called The River Thames never The Thames River It is pronounced TEMS which rhymes with hems, gems, etc The river runs from west to east, however when we cross Westminster Bridge, the river is running from south to north. In general, there are more poor areas on the south side of the river. For most of London s history the West End was the rich part of London and the East End was the poor part. Since the closing of the docks in London (ships are now too big to enter London) the East End has been redeveloped and is now home to rich city workers. London Bridge and Tower Bridge are often mixed up. Tower Bridge is the one near The Tower of London and it is the one that opens. Some places are named after pubs that no longer exist such as The Elephant & Castle and The Angel Islington. London taxi drivers have to pass the most difficult test for taxi drivers in the world. Preparation for this test takes one to two years. The city used to have a wall around it. There were over twenty gates into the city. So all around London you ll see place names that end in gate such as Notting Hill Gate, Algate (the old gate), Lancaster Gate, Billingsgate, Newgate (where the infamous prison was). See how many you can spot. After the Great Fire of London in 1666 London was rebuilt. The man in charge of rebuilding the churches was Sir Christopher Wren. There are dozens of his churches throughout London. People in the south of London speak differently from those in the north. This is changing as people move about more, but you can still hear it. We are staying in South London. You ll hear people pronouncing TH as F. And you ll hear the G at the end of words pronounced as K - - so, you ll hear I FORT instead of I THOUGHT and you ll hear I HAVEN T DONE ANYTHING as I AINT DONE NUFFINK. Listen for it it s not hard to spot.

20 Rooms will be inspected Stay clean stay tidy