Early last Tuesday morning we had a very excited group of 16 young people and their accompanying adults ready at Stockport train station for a day trip to London! For some this was their first time visiting the capital and they were buzzing for what the day ahead would hold, whilst also feeling slightly apprehensive!
Since joining PIE last year, Munji has been desperate to take a group to see the joys of London after living there for a while herself so she was tasked with the mission to find funding and organise a fun filled day trip!
As soon as we arrived in London after our (very smooth and non delayed!) train journey we went to our hop on hop off bus stop which was located a few minute walk from Euston station. There are lots of options but we used www.bigbustours.com – there were always buses about, space for all of us on the same bus and the drivers were SO friendly! It’s amazing how different London looked from a height and it was the perfect people watching spot for our journey to Covent Garden.
We hopped off the bus at Covent Garden and had a look at their infamous market, got some cookies as some fuel for our walk to Big Ben and Parliament Square. We walked along the river, spotting the London Eye and other famous attractions. We are so lucky that we had perfect weather for lots of time outdoors, so the walk didn’t feel like a chore. After taking lots of pictures at Big Ben and Parliament Square we went for lunch at Market Hall Victoria.
Food halls are such a good option when you have a group of teenagers as they are bound to find something they like! We loved how spacious and relaxed it was, and also how many different types of nachos they had on offer! After some much needed recuperation we continued our sightseeing tour (led by Munji) towards Buckingham Palace.
Our next destination was back on the bus, driving past Hyde Park, through Oxford Street, past Carnaby Street and Regent Street. Again, the bus gave such a good view of all the shop windows and our group got to experience the hustle and bustle of these infamous shopping streets without being in it!
Our final stops were Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square, where we got to see some street performers and get some souvenirs. Here the group had some free time with their supervising adults to explore Leicester Square. Some chose the M&M store and others went to the Lego shop – which are always a hit no matter how many times you visit them!
We walked back to Euston station (Munji would say walked, the rest of the group would say they ran!) and got some snacks ready for our journey home – which was much quieter. This could probably be explained by the 20,000 steps that everyone had walked!
We were very lucky to receive funding from Henry Smith Charity for this visit, from their Holiday Grants Programme which aims to provide recreational trips for young people who would not have the same opportunity without the funding. We are super grateful for this funding as it has allowed us to give these young people such an amazing experience during the half term holidays, which can be an anxiety filled, long stretch of unstructured time for many young people! Thank you Henry Smith!
We had such a brilliant and rewarding day! Here is some of the feedback from the young people and their parents:
‘The trip was a very special experience for me and everyone else would agree too. We made loads of friends, talked to new people and waved at the royal guards too! My favourite part was having a gorgeous view from the bus while the wind was blowing on our faces, while seeing designer stores and the many Queen Victoria statues.’
‘I loved waving at people from the open top bus. I really enjoyed seeing all the landmarks for the first time.’
‘I enjoyed the whole day, I can’t pick just one thing that was my favourite.’
‘I loved the whole day, amazing things to see, lots of laughs and an experience I could have never given the kids. Such a great experience spent with great people, thank you so much for including us.’
‘Ellie has had a fantastic time and has really enjoyed herself. We are so grateful.’
‘Today was the best day of my life as I got to make new friends and I got to explore places in London that I have not been to. The best thing that happened in that day was when we got on to the bus, as it was so amazing to see London from that amazing view.’
'The London trip was a very nice wonderful experience. I enjoyed the statues, monuments, architecture and definitely the food. I loved visiting M&M and Harry potter shops with friends and I feel that was the best part.'
'It was a really enjoyable day! I had a chance to talk to and connect with people I don't usually and the trip in general was a tiring but ultimately really really fun experience! The bus tours were great and the sightseeing was amazing!'
'As it was my first time visiting London I'd have to say I loved it. The parts of the city which we visited looked gorgeous. I enjoyed the activities that we did, the places we went to and loved the bus tours. Thank you so much for the opportunity. It was truly amazing. 😊'
'London was an amazing trip that me and my sister both loved we were both so shocked and amazed at the variety of activities we got to do for free , our highlight of the day was going round the city on the tour bus and being able to see all the different attractions in London specifically seeing all the different theatre buildings for all the different musicals as we both love plays.'
Sounds like an amazing day! Well done to everyone involved, and thankyou to Henry Smith Charity for the funding!
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