New Year Welcome Drinks and History Walk

Happy New Year! We started our social programme again on Tuesday this week with Gavin taking a group of around 12 students to the Cock, our local pub. There was a little age difference in this group, and the students quickly divided into two groups: The "over 30s" and the "under 21s". Surprisingly, the most popular drink was coke this week, maybe people felt they had over-done the alcohol during the Christmas break and this showed some New Year resolutions! Finally, most conversations were about work, what other people do back home, and Gavin was also asked a lot about English, grammar, vocabulary etc… Now students, do take time to relax with your English in the pub, it isn't a lesson!! And on Thursday, Owen motivated 7 students to join him on his 2000 Years of History walk through London. The little group was very lucky as, when they got to Saint Paul's Cathedral tube station, the rain suddenly stopped and they were able to wander around without umbrellas! This was enjoyed by most, apart from a couple of Argentinian students who were apparently very keen on the rain, just arriving from their home country and being "sick of the 40 degree temperatures back home!" This leaves us Londoners dreamy! 40 degrees? And here we are trying to keep dry and warm on our journeys to work/school… Even Jess, Owen's poodle, didn't make it to the walk as she hates the rain! The social programme was quite light this week as the school wasn't very busy, and we were all getting slowly back into the swing of things after a nice Christmas break – But next week we'll be picking things up again: Monday will see the usual pub drinks, and an extra event organised by the theatre master Owen: Hamlet at the National Theatre for £10!! Followed on Wednesday by a trip to the Science Museum in South Kensington with myself and finally on Thursday, Julia will be taking you bowling American style in Bloomsbury! Until then, enjoy your weekend, and the expected warmer temperatures!