Our last day in London
and we are all filled with different emotions. Some of us are already missing
Singapore, some of us cannot bear to leave London, some of us are excited and
some of us are sad. Regardless, we started day 10 by heading towards the Tate
Britain. In my opinion, the Tate Britain is a lot like a combination between
the National Gallery and Tate Modern. The Tate Britain was filled with all
types of artwork, from sculptures to contemporary works to different kinds of
paintings. The halls in the Tate Britain were really beautiful – large,
spacious and grand looking. In one of the rooms, there were many different
sketches on display and one of the most amazing things was that visitors were
encouraged to take a pencil and paper and sketch their own drawing and put them
on display. We were not invited to appreciate art, but also create our own
piece of artwork. It was a really inspiring activity.
From the Tate Britain, we
then headed to Convent Garden for lunch and some shopping! Split into our
different groups, we all scattered into different directions, some heading to
places to shop while others looking for food. Some of us had our lunch at Gourmet
Burger Kitchen (GBK), now with more time to enjoy our meals. After our lunch,
we visited different shops around the area.
The coming Christmas season in Convent Garden reminded me a lot of
Orchard of Orchard Road in Singapore – beautiful decorations, plenty of shops
and bustling with activities. Later, we all gathered together with bags of
food, clothes and souvenirs. It was a delightful day indeed
So what did we do for the
rest of the day before our evening flight back home? We continued to shop till
we drop! This time, we went to one of the most iconic area in London – Harrods.
When people say you can get anything you want at Harrods, they are not kidding,
trust me. Harrods was huge beyond believe and all that we saw was only from the
ground level, not even the basement area. With such a huge crowd of visitors
during this season and so many things on sale it was obvious that we did not
have enough time to look through everything. However I am sure everyone came
out of the store contented, bringing back all sorts of stuff we could get.
According to our teachers, things such as pets and yachts can even be bought
from Harrods. Unbelievable! What an amazing way to end our trip! One last look
at this magnificent city and off we went to Heathrow airport for our flight
back
Upon reaching Singapore,
many of us were welcomed home with family and friends waiting to pick us up at
the airport. Looking at all our faces, we really missed our family, friends and
our cozy beds. Our trip to London is indeed a wonderful adventure. We had
visited many museums, watched plays in the evenings, squeezed through the tube
and even tasted the food here in London.
Each one of these memories is indeed precious. Not only have we learnt
more about London and Singapore, I believe the friendship we have made was
unforgettable. All in all, Literary London was shiok!
Written by Edmund Low 12A07 (Group C)
We will gather at Changi Airport Terminal 1, Row 2 (Flight EK 007) at 6.30pm for our overnight flight to London via Dubai.
1. Panoramic Tour of the city with a Blue Badge Guide (in the morning)
Highlights: able to see iconic places in London such as the Buckingham Palace, the Horse Guards, St Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge, and all the other famous London landmarks.
2. British Museum (in the afternoon)
Highlights: attend a special exhibition “Staging the World” at the British Museum, which provides a unique insight into the emerging role of London as a world city, seen through the innovative perspective of Shakespeare’s plays.
1. Brixton Market (in the morning)
Highlights: appreciate the diverse community of Brixton through its well-known African and Caribbean produce.
2. Houses of Parliament (in the afternoon)
Highlights: learn more about the British Parliament’s current work and history through a Guided Tour.
1. Tower of London (in the morning)
Highlights: a historic castle founded towards the end of 1066. It is a World Heritage Site today.
2. National Gallery (in the afternoon)
Highlights: an art museum founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. It is the fourth most visited art museum in the world.
3. Even Song at Westminster Abbey (in the evening)
Highlights: witness the beautiful architecture of Westminster Abbey and experience of the beauty of music.
4. Southbank Christmas Markets
1. Gumley House Convent School
Highlights: a full day of interaction and activities with local students. It is an opportunity to experience studying under the British education system.
2. Let It Be (in the evening)
Highlights: a musical based on the lives of The Beatles.
1. Charles Dickens Walk (in the morning)
Highlights: strolling through the courtyards of Lincolns Inn where Dickens set his famous novel “Bleak House”, finding out how Dickens contributed to the founding of London’s first and most famous childrens’ hospital and viewing a 15th century dining hall and a 17th century chapel.
2. Royal Courts of Justice (in the afternoon)
Highlights: learning about the history, art and architecture of the Royal Courts of Justice. In addition, learn about the different roles and working spaces in court.
3. War Horse
Highlights: a play based on the book of the same name by acclaimed children's writer Michael Morpurgo.
1. Drama Workshop at the Globe Theatre (in the morning)
Highlights: the focus will be on the aspects of Shakespearean performance via an introduction on Othello.
2. Tate Modern
Highlights: emphasis on the portrayal of individuals in modern art and implications vis the relatioinship of the individual and society in the 20th and 21st centuries.
3. Richard III
Highlights: a play by William Shakespeare. It depicts the Machiavellian rise to power and subsequent short reign of Richard III of England.
1. Oxford
Highlights: Meeting Nuala Young, former City Councillor. Discovering the challenges faced with respect to managing the University Town. Going on the walking tour of Oxford and uncovering the literary heritage of Oxford.
1. Singapore High Commission
Highlights: learn about Singapore’s Trade and Economic ties with Britain.
2. Poetry and Dialogue Session with published poet and former BBC Poet-in-Residence
Highlights: A face-to-face session that will allow students to listen to the reading of his poems, understand his inspiration and learn how they are formed.
1. Borough Market (in the morning)
Highlights: see how the Urban Space Management helped win significant regeneration funds under the title “London’s Larder”. The project rapidly moved to become one of the country’s best known food retail markets.
2. Imperial War Museum (in the afternoon)
Highlights: focusing on war poets.
1. Check out of the hotel and board the waiting coach.
2. Possibly drive through the Docklands and East London to see how the area has been redeveloped for the London Olympics.
Arrive in Singapore in the evening.
From the Tate Britain, we
then headed to Convent Garden for lunch and some shopping! Split into our
different groups, we all scattered into different directions, some heading to
places to shop while others looking for food. Some of us had our lunch at Gourmet
Burger Kitchen (GBK), now with more time to enjoy our meals. After our lunch,
we visited different shops around the area.
The coming Christmas season in Convent Garden reminded me a lot of
Orchard of Orchard Road in Singapore – beautiful decorations, plenty of shops
and bustling with activities. Later, we all gathered together with bags of
food, clothes and souvenirs. It was a delightful day indeed
