The annual pilgrimage to Hameau Les Ages, in The Dordogne region of France, has become something of a Holme Grange tradition. In August 2005, 43 children set off for the School’s fifth visit in seven years.

The long tortuous journey from the School to the site took seventeen hours of monotonous driving along the French autoroutes. And so it was that, in the early morning, just in time for breakfast, the children found themselves de camped into the bucolic charm of Les Ages, which is a French hamlet tucked in among acres of sunflowers and far from the madding crowd.

Having been split into four groups the children participated in a whole range of activities on site during the week.

Newton’s laws of motion were tested to the limit on the ropes course. The initiative exercises revealed just what an argumentative lot the children could be. Put into small groups the children had to overcome no end of obstacles, of both a cerebral and a practical nature.

Mountain biking proved very popular. The sport gave the children the opportunity to commune with nature and practise their French on a number of bemused cows gently chewing the cud in daisy strewn meadows, which we had the happy chance of cycling through.

Of all the water sports, the firm favourite this year was dinghy sailing for a strong breeze blew up on the lake and propelled both the children and craft at break-neck speed from one end of the lake to the other.

We spent a day, three to a canoe, paddling in a huge Holme Grange Squadron down a picturesque stretch of the River Dordogne marvelling at an array of impressive chateaux clinging precariously to the river’s edge.

Les Ages is very much an English enclave in the heart of France so in an effort to get the children out-and-about, to practise their French and appreciate the culture of France numerous trips were arranged to neighbouring towns.

A visit to a monkey colony at Roccamadour proved very popular where the children had the opportunity to hand-feed free roaming monkeys with popcorn.

All in all the children had a wonderful time and the journey home was very quiet as the children, battered and bruised from nine days of high octane activity slept the sleep of the just.