Stunning Cathedral trip
As part of Curriculum Day, Year 9 students went on a humanities trip to Ely to take part in a variety of activities based on Art, RE, History or Geography. Lottie Bond describes the trip:
After a coach ride from Bassingbourn to Ely, each group started the morning differently – my group began in the stained-glass museum that was inside the Cathedral.
We began by learning centuries-old techniques used by monks to create the windows, how they made different colours and why they were made. After the workshop we began touring around the museum. On every wall were stunning patterns and designs displaying pictures depicting anything from biblical stories to images of monarchs commissioned by kings themselves. Art students took particular interest in the museum as their next scheme of learning will be incorporating some of the art styles and techniques seen there, but everyone else still enjoyed the experience.
My group next ventured downstairs, into the main part of the Cathedral. With ceilings as higher than they were wide, it is an understatement to say we, including the staff, were amazed with the beauty of it all.
As we entered, both the ceilings and the walls were decorated with intricate designs showing biblical stories, including the Nativity, the Easter story and the Ascension. While we were all stunned at the cathedral itself, we were kept interested by our tour guide, who not only taught us about common Christian teachings but also opened up theological discussions into the nature of God, which I, as an RE student, found fascinating. At the end of every groups’ tour, there was a chance to win a very nice coloured pencil from the cathedral gift shop and I am happy to say I managed to be the lucky winner from my group!
After the action-packed morning, everyone had a chance to have a bit of lunch and a chat to their friends from other groups, but we couldn’t rest for long as we all ventured off to our last activity for the day. My group’s last activity was a tour of the Oliver Cromwell House museum, the home of the infamous British leader and leader of the Roundheads in the British civil war against the Cavaliers.
We began our tour by watching a short film about the history of Oliver Cromwell, the house itself and its other residents. We then went from room to room, discussing what live would have been like back then with our tour guides who were dressed in clothes accurate to the time period we were being taught about. The final room we visited was the room in which Oliver Cromwell’s dead body was said to have been kept between his death and his burial. The room itself is rumoured to have been haunted and while I myself can neither confirm nor deny this claim, I can confirm that I felt, as well as everyone who was in the room at the same time as me, that there was definitely an air of mystery about the room.
Sadly, my group didn’t get a chance to take part in the geography activity, but my friends have assured me that it was just as enjoyable as the activities I did get to take part in!
Curriculum day was really enjoyable for all involved. I and so many others learnt so much while doing it in new and different ways, the teachers that came with us found a way to enjoy themselves despite having to herd over a hundred teens around the city centre and thankfully staff from both the cathedral and the two museums said they enjoyed having BVC students visiting and hoped we would come again soon!