York Day 2 2023
*Please note, some of the pictures (below) have been taken by the children
Day 2 York 2023
After a calm and peaceful night – no drama and no noise – we all munched our way through a stack of pancakes; several loaves of bread; a mountain of sausages; and enough coco pops to fill a swimming pool! We all love a Premier Inn breakfast! Our children showed how responsible, sensible and well-mannered they are – it was a really lovely start to the day.
Eden Camp is not far from York so after a relatively short journey, we arrived to step back in time and experience WW2. The children’s knowledge always astounds us as we walk through different buildings in the old POW camp, which are full of displays and reconstructed scenes. More importantly, the children’s understanding of the sacrifice of war is always entirely respectful. Groups walked through the Chapel of Remembrance with such reverence and calm.
Our children took advantage of every opportunity Eden Camp offers. The photographs show the air raid shelters, the military vehicles, the guard boxes, hilarious character cut outs as well as the more sombre memorials. The favourite theme for many of the children was the Blitz. The sirens, smoke and blackout made it really atmospheric .
Lunch in the mess hall was fun and gave the children time to meet up and chat about the best bits of the morning. The adults had a chance to have a cup of tea so all were refreshed for the afternoon. Embarrassingly, Mrs Burton’s group were treated to her singing along in the old time music hall to ‘We’ll Meet Again’ – something no-one should be subjected to!
Like all good attractions, the adventure playground allowed the children to run off some excess energy before having an ice-cream, and a visit to the not-to-be-missed gift shop. Unfortunately, the WW2 items included bullet shells and dog tags (apologies to all parents)!
After another short coach trip and despite being really tired, the children strolled through York to begin the ghost walk. Mark Graham is an excellent story-teller – only giving so much away and leaving lots to the imagination. The children listened attentively and realised quickly that many of the stories were not scary but interesting urban legends. The walk ended at the York Minster with a retelling of a famous story about Roman soldiers marching through the walls.
Another day ended. Tomorrow awaits!
Eden Camp & Ghost Walk
Splat the Rat
