‘Mr Kimber Tours’ kicked off a wonderful trip around London on the way to the Natural History Museum, taking in the Imperial War Museum, Houses of Parliament and Westminster.  Once inside, ‘Hope’, the new 25 metre whale skeleton that hangs in the entrance hall, greeted everyone as they all stood in awe.  They made their way up through the ‘centre of the earth’ and into the Earthquake and Volcano zone.  The children examined exhibits, interacted with displays and read all about the tectonic activity that bubbles away underneath our feet.  The highlight for some was the simulation of the Kobe earthquake, giving a very realistic experience of the fright of being in an earthquake. Year 6 then trekked to the Attenborough Studio for a wonderful show, where custard powder became magma, a float formed fold mountains and Mr Kimber took on Tess at causing an earthquake, although he had a slight advantage over her! It was a great start to the day and they left having had a wonderful reminder of the power of the earth.

Once at Hampton Court, they split into groups and were given a wonderful audio tour of the Palace. They learnt all about Henry VIII’s life, from when he was a young boy, through to when he became King of England and his life as King.  As if the morning’s earthquake simulator wasn’t scary enough, they had to walk along the ‘haunted corridor’ but there was no sight of Catherine Howard’s ghost. Children stood in amazement at the Great Hall, with its beautiful windows, architecture and the roof of the chapel was an amazing sight. One of the most fascinating parts was the kitchens and they gave an insight into the enormous logistics of sustaining Henry’s entourage and visitors 500 years ago.

It was a wonderful day full of learning and fun!