WE ARE BACK HOME

      After yesterday final Farewell Gathering, we have been saying goodbye to our families. Some of us would like to stay for a long time but our parents are waiting for us in Madrid and in Barcelona.

      As we said bye bye this morning some tears come out. We have had a very nice stay with the families and we’ll miss them a lot. We had some presents from our families but what is more important that we bring home is their hospitality and care for us.

      We are looking forward to get in Spain and enjoy with our parents the rest of this summer. Some of us is already planning to come back next year.

      Thank you, families and teachers. We had a wonderful time in Leamington.

Antonio, Belén, Guillermo, Javier, Joan, Laura, Marieta, Marina, Pablo, Santiago, Sebastián.

THE LAST DAY

      Yesterday like every day we went to class and we learnt something different. We finished the class we had free time for having lunch and buying things for the families. Then we were preparing the Party. It was very funny. Every people liked it.

    We did a lot of things like singing and showing the Project we did in class. When we finished this we gave pictures of us to the families and flowers for the teachers. The end were very near and we all were becoming sad. Finished the Party we went with our families or at home or at a restaurant or to a pub. We day was full of many things we did and so we enjoyed a lot.

Antonio.

      Every day is the same routine, getting up and ready, having breakfast and going for the lessons. Today the bus service was horrible full of people and no everybody could seat. We work in our lessons the comparatives and more thing with games and songs.

      When we finished the lessons we met Fr Sorribes who wished us the best for this summer and the year to come. Then we went to Birmingham by train. There we visited The Pen Centre in the Jewellery Quarter. There were a lot of pens or nibs because Birmingham was very important place for this industry. We also were able to practise the handwriting with feathers. Then we went back to the city centre and had some free time for some shopping.

      We went back to our families and we had dinner. It was another day in England.

Sebastián.

SWIMMING IN THE SUN

     Today we had a very nice day. As everyday we startes the class at nine o’clock and we learned a lot of different things. Aslo we were listening some songs and do a lot of exercises.

      At 12:00 we finishedthe class and after we had lunch, we went to the simming pool and enjoyed it a lot because we went through the slim. Also we were practising the songs that we are going to sing in the Farewell on Friday.

      After that we came back to town to catch the buses to go back home. We spent the evening enjoying with our families.

Marieta.

OXFORD

      Today at 9 o’clock we went to school like every day. We learnt the passive and active voice and we heard two songs about the conditional and passive voice.

      After the lessons we went to the railway station. We had to wait the train for half an hour. After that we arrived in Oxford. We visited the city centre and we entered University College. We also visited the oldest library of Oxford. Then we had free time to go shopping and we bought a lot of things.
      Back in Leamington we went home and we enjoyed with our families.

Javi and Marina.

DISCOVERING ROYAL LEAMINGTON SPA

      Today before starting the English lessons at 9 o’clock, we were planning what to do for the Party and Farewell next Friday evening. In class we revised the sonnets we wrote last week. We also did some exercises in pairs on conversations as between a doctor and his patients. We practised the prepositions and learnt a bit more about their use as we have some confusions when to use one or another.

      After class we went to the park to have our lunch. In the afternoon we explored Leamington with an across the board game. It was not easy to follow the instructions some times because we didn’t understand the instructions sometimes for we got confused between east and west. Some of us found it difficult for we had to walk.

      When time was over we went to the Bowls lawn and had a game. It seems to be easy get de bowls near the jack but it is not because the bowls are not balls and they roll turning one or other side. People passing by stared at us thinking we were practising for the next week National Championship of English Bowls in Leamington.

Guillermo.

TRIP TO ALTON TOWERS

      Today we went to Alton Towers. We were in Newbold Terrace at 8:15 except Fr J who arrived late when everyone was in the coach. We arrived in Alton Towers at 10:30 and we went to the rides in groups of 5-6. We went firstly to Oblivion and then to Thirteen and to The Smiler, the new ride from this year. It is amazing, but we were queuing for an hour, what was short time if we compare that when we arrived they show the queue was for 180 minutes. From The Smiler we went to Rita and because we had some time left we went back to Oblivion.

      At 5:30 we met everybody and took the coach back to Leamington. On arriving at 8:00 pm I went to Aunty’s house for dinner and stayed for a film. When I was back home I went straight to sleep.

Belén.

THE SUN IS SHINING

      As every day we have our English lessons from 9:00 to 12:20. We have some discussions for our vocabulary, some writing and some listening. We enjoy the lessons and we learn a bit more day bay day.

      After having lunch we started playing football in the park. Parks are full of people because we are having a very nice weather and they like to take sunbath as is quite unusual to have 25 or more degrees. They say that we are the ones bringing good weather to England.

      We went then to the swimming pool. It is an indoor facility and there were not many people when we arrived. So we could enjoy every thing much more, the Jacuzzi, the Slim, and we played a lot.

Antonio.

STRATFORD-UPON-AVON AND WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

      Today after lunch we went to Stratford-upon-Avon by train. We visited William Shakespeare’s Birthplace. His father had a large house for he worked the leather manufacturing gloves basically. In the house we saw his father’s workshop but also the different rooms in the house, the bedrooms with several beds and one single wardrobe and the fireplace for heating the rooms in the cool of winter. We went into the gardens very big and pretty nice with lots of flowers. There were some actors that were playing short speeches from Shakespeare’s works. Today they were playing parts of Hamlet.

      Then we went to The Swam Theatre built in 1879 but keeps the atmosphere of the old theatres as The Globe in London were Shakespeare started playing as actor and representing his owns plays. There we were able to wear some clothes from different characters in his plays. We looked very nice ready to go to the stage and perform… But we were not ready because we had no texts by Shakespeare at hand.

      In town we had some time for us to walk and see other places and shops. It was a very special nice day.

Joan.

WEDNESDAY AND CINEMA

      Today we started the lessons at nine o’clock like every day. We usually do some games to do the learning more enjoyable. At break time we used to eat a snack (from the packet lunch) and get some fresh air. This morning we finished the lessons at twenty-past twelve. Then we had our lunch, but some people bought something to eat in a fast-food restaurant.

      After lunch we went to the Apollo’s Cinema to watch a film. We watched Despicable Me 2. I think it is a very funny film. We have been laughing all the movie. We had a nice day.

Javier.

ENGLAND AND THE CANALS

      Today was the second day with our new teacher Miss Louise. We started the lessons with some vocabulary games and then we read out loud a text about the English canals, about their history while we were looking for some new words in the text. Therefore Miss Louise finished the lessons showing us part of the brand new film called The Host which was very interesting and easy to understand.

After the lessons had finished we had some time, nearly one hour which we spent having lunch and laying on the grass of a beautiful park beside the place where we study at.

At two o’clock we went to the meeting point. Then we all went together to the railway station where we took the train to Hatton. There we saw the Canal and the Locks. The first one was surprising. The second was amazing and the third, awesome. The forth was interesting but not as much as the fifth lock.

When we got to the sixth one I was very glad there were still twelve locks more waiting for me. Eighteen locks altogether. So much locks along that took us more than an hour. We were lucky to find several families in their boats going up or down these locks. Some of us wanted to help them as they have to open and close the pipes for the water and the doors to enter the lock. It takes its time.

      At the end of the path we had to stop and had some water in a pub that was there because we were breathless. At last we made the same way back home. We returned to Leamington by train and from there we made each one our own way home.

Pablo.

 

IMPROVING ENGLISH AND BOWLING

         Monday I woke up at seven o’clock I had a shower and breakfast. At a quarter past eight I caught the bus for the school. We met our new teacher Miss Louise. We played some games for learning directions. At half past twelve we had lunch in the Shopping Centre.

      In the afternoon we went to the 10 Pin Bowling Centre. I scored more points than last week. But boys are better than girls for they scored over ninety points with some strikes.

      When I was with my family we went to Asda for the weekly shopping. We sat together for dinner and speaking. When we realised it was time for bed.

Laura.

ON SUNDAY WITH OUR FAMILIES

Sunday is the Family’s day. Laura, me and our families enjoyed a shopping day. We went to Solihull Shopping Centre. We find there a lot of shops. We bought two chocolate milkshake because it was too hot.

      In the afternoon we went back to Laura’s home. We sat and we listened to music. We also went for a walk next to the river. Later on I went with my family to a pub for some cold drinks. Back home we had a large dinner and we watched Mamma Mia’s film.

Marina.

      I went with my family to Leamington Spa town centre. It was going the Independents Retailers Day. It wants to show what makes Royal Leamington Spa a special and unique shopping experience. There were many shops in Regent Street and The Parade and also children's rides, family entertainments, delicious local food and amazing dance performances. We enjoyed a lot.

We came back home and we had lunch. We also watched television. After dinner I went to my room. I went to bed early but I woke up at 11 and I went downstairs for something to eat.

Sebastian.

TRIP TO LONDON

Today there were not English Lessons but we got up at the same time, more o less. Today we have gone to London. We went by train.

In London we visited the Covent Garden Market, now a nice place for artists and push shops and restaurants. Then we went to the British Museum, where we visited the rooms about the Parthenon and the Rosetta Stone.

 

Then we went to the Tower of London.

It was very hot. We had lunch there. We crossed the Tower Bridge on foot.

We caught a bus and we went towards Westminster Bridge. We enjoyed the view of the Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Crossing the river we learned about the Parliament, Richard I Lion Heart, and Oliver Cromwell, and also we visited Westminster Abbey.

Then we took the Underground and went to Oxford Street. We had free time for shopping. When we were back in Leamington our families took us home.

Guillermo.

 

 

OUR PERFECT WORLD

Today I got up at seven o’clock. I had breakfast and at 8:20 I took the bus. In our lessons we prepared a Project, Our Perfect World and at the end of the lessons each group presented what was it about. 

We went to the park for our lunch. In the afternoon we went to the Newbold Commyn where you can practise sports, make barbecues and go to the Sports Centre where the swimming pool is. The boys played football before going swimming. We all enjoyed the time.

We returned to the families and had dinner. I also watched tv before I went to bed.

Marieta.

 

ONE DAY IN BIRMINGHAM

      Thursday morning. The alarm sounds at 7:30. I got up have breakfast and dressed up. We take the dog and I am dropped off at the Parish Centre.

We have our English lessons with Mrs Nicky. We don’t know how but it is time for lunch. Today has visited us Fr Sorribes.

     In the afternoon we take the train to Birmingham. We walked the Canal area until the Symphony Hall where there was a Festival of Brass Bands. One of those was playing outside in a square. We enjoyed what they played. Then we had time to walk in town centre. There is a large shopping centre full of people. We have something to eat or to drink.

 

     We came back by train. When we get in Leamington we went back home.

 

Santiago.

 

A FANTASTIC DAY

This morning I went to class at 9 o’clock as usual. We did a lot of games and directions for learning more English. When we finished our lessons we went to the park or to the shopping centre for lunch.

      In the afternoon we went to the 10 Pin Bowling. It was a bit of long way. We played two games and we did a lot of strikes. Then we came back and we had one hour of free time before we went back home.

Antonio.

IN THE COUNTY OF WARWICKSHIRE

Today is Tuesday. In the afternoon we went to Warwick after having our lunch. In Warwick we saw a lot of fantastic places and curiosities. We visited the Lord Leicester Hospital. It was strange because the houses are very old, and beside you can imagine is not for ill people but for retired people. Specifically we visited the very big and beautiful Church of Saint Mary and we learned about its history and famous people buried inside. Then we went to see the famous big and nice Warwick Castle. Next to it there was a catapult.

One of the most special things we visited was the garden by the river Avon. It had a lot of exotic plants and flowers. It was next to the Castle. Here there was an old man that kindly let us go in. We had a very nice view of the Castle.

This day has been very exciting and nice.

Joan.

OUR FIRST DAY

This is our first day in Leamington. I woke up at seven o’clock. Then I had a shower and breakfast with Sam. At a half past eight we went to school. There we had a little exam and did some exercises about spelling. We made interviews in pairs telling what we expect from the English lessons.

We went to Jephson Gardens for our lunch. There we had fun with a squirrel that agreed some seeds we gave it. Then after we marked in a map the main places for our interest, meeting point, buses stops, The Church Centre for the lessons, and more places. After that we walked up to the travel shop and we got the Megarider Pass. We had some free time and we went into the Priors Shopping Centre. At half past five we went back to our families. Some of them came to collect the student.

Laura

ONCE MORE GOING TO ENGLAND

Today Sunday I got up at 10:30 because I was very excited about my journey. When I was ready, my family and I went to the airport. Once there we had to wait for everyone. Then all of the students said goodbye to their families and we went through the airport control. We took the plane.

When we arrived in London we had to take the coach. It took two hours and a half to get to Leamington because there was an accident on the motorway. Finally we met our families. It was amazing meeting the families. At home I talked to my family about our year and then I went to bed.

Belén