Discovering history and cultur

Class G8a of the Freie Evangelische Schule, Lörrach, visited Chester from the 1st to the 7th July, one of several class visits from the school this year. In total, almost 150 students visited during June and July, about half of them from the Gymnasium, accompanied by Stefan Müller, Benjamin Dobrunz, Jürgen Kunzweiler, Birgit Müh, Britta Menzel and Ruth Collins.

We had a wonderful week, spending time in the city of Chester, and also visiting places in the local area, including Conwy Castle, Great Orme, Liverpool, and the Anderton boat lift. Our students stayed in groups of two or three with host families, who were friendly and hospitable. The sun shone (almost) every day, so we saw Chester and the region at its best. In the city, we saw the main sights - the city wall, cathedral, canal, river, Roman remains, Town hall etc, and students also spoke to local people from Chester. They had to ask someone why they were in Chester that day, ask for directions, buy something in a shop etc, and without exception, people were kind and helpful, and very happy to take the time to speak to our students.

However, the highlight for most of the students was the visit to the Bishop’s Blue Coat High School, where we were warmly welcomed. Our students were each paired with a British student, and participated in their normal school programme, including English, German, Maths, Science, Religion, Design and Technology, and Sports lessons. It was fascinating for them to see how different school life is in England - the later start time in the morning; the fingerprint technology for signing in and paying for lunch; school uniform; and the large sports field being the most obvious differences.  The students got on well together, with some exchanging contact details before we left.

There is so much of interest and educational value in Chester and the surrounding area, that it really is an ideal destination for a school visit.  Many thanks to everyone who helped to make this visit possible.