With Christmas in sight, Years 7 and 8 clambered onto a train for their annual treat to London. From Waterloo Station it was a short stroll to The London Aquarium where we saw many exotic species of fish and had eye-ball to eye-ball encounters with a menacing shark which, fortunately, remained firmly behind plate glass.

From there it was something of a route march to Hamleys in Regent Street. En route we took in The Houses of Parliament and Whitehall, where we saw all the government buildings including 10 Downing Street. This was followed by short stroll through St James's Park which was bathed in unseasonably warm sunshine. On Horse Guards Parade we came across a police officer brandishing a very menacing gun. However, he had a broad smile, a chat and entertained us by raising and lowering the huge security bollards that protect the rear of the Prime Minister's residence.

Hamleys was school child's heaven and the teachers had great difficulty dragging Years 7 & 8 out of the doors. The paltry few pounds that the children had in their pockets was, regrettably, only sufficient to buy just a tiny fraction of the stock at the world’s most famous toy shop.

The day ended with a performance of Mary Poppins, at The Prince Edward Theatre, and everybody returned home mesmerised by the incredible dancing, singing and special effects.