Nottingham 2016

When we started the trip to Nottingham, there wasn’t much I could think of… Nottingham: just a normal city in the middle of England, a twin city of Karlsruhe.

We travelled for 10 hours. It was tiring, but I didn’t miss the chance to look at the beautiful landscapes of Belgium, France and, of course, the UK.

We arrived in the evening. The beautiful architecture and Victorian style houses delight you from the moment you leave the train station.

This year, we, class 9b, had the chance to visit this fabulous English city, once the hideout of the famous Robin Hood.

The name of the school we went to is “Trinity Catholic School”. There we spent two days and met our exchange partners, who greeted us warmly. The school was a little different, but by no means unpleasant. I attended Year 11 classes, and while some of my friends were surprised to have to attend Cooking, Interior Design or other unusual classes, I only had normal subjects that we also have here, in Germany. What I find interesting is the way the pupils have to change classrooms every hour. The school is a lot stricter, too. You are not allowed keep a cell phone with you (let alone use it), and you are not allowed to wear any kind of makeup and jewellery.

In our spare time we went to Nottingham Castle and the Robin Hood statue with our teachers, but we had the chance to wander freely as well. I think it is every child’s dream – endless free time, talking to your friends in the room, and laughing and joking while walking through the city.

On Friday (our last day), we visited the Galleries of Justice and the Council House, where we met the Sheriff of Nottingham and learned a little bit about the city’s history. We finished our trip with a game of  indoor golf with our partners in the evening.

Being given the opportunity to visit this beautiful city in the heart of England and attend classes in the UK is definitely an experience I will never forget.

Now, when I say “Nottingham”, I think of the beautiful Victorian style houses, the school, my exchange partner, Ms. Echte and Ms. John taking pictures of us and… the laughter of my friends.

Ana-Maria G., Klasse 9b, Oktober 2016