Day 9 (Duxford) - July 30, 2012

I just realized that I forgot to mention on Day 4 that we went to the Eagle Pub in Cambridge for dinner.  That place is awesome; it is over 800 years old and it is one of the oldest buildings in Cambridge.  It is known for 2 major accomplishments in its life as was told by our organizer Jenny.  The first was that it is the location where Watson and Frick came to celebrate the discover of DNA; the second occurred during WWII as it was the local watering hole for both RAF (British Royal Air Force) pilots and American Air Corps pilots who would come from the surrounding air bases to put back a few bitters (slang for beer in the English lingo).  Also, the Eagle Pub is noted for having distinct markings on the ceilings; US and RAF pilots would often put each other on top of their shoulders and using a candle, they would use the flames/smoke to write their names on the ceiling which is still visible today.

We have the wonderful opportunity to listen and learn from many great people who have specialized areas at the AAM in Duxford, but today, we went on a tour with the USAAF (United States American Air Force) Uniforms curator.  He gave us an hour plus long tour of the storage facilities of uniforms from 1914 to the present for all major world conflicts; plus, they have over 15,000 artifacts.  He described to us the heating/cooling temperatures and how long the process takes to prepare an old artifact for preservation (7 + days in total).  AS we were about to leave and head to begin our classroom work, he pulled out Kaiser Wilhelm’s (German leader during WWI) uniform trench coat to explain to us the uniqueness surrounding the coat and how the museum came to acquire it.   I took a picture of it and as I was walking out of the storage facility, I was able to touch it – pretty freaking awesome!  I know that this is probably boring many of you who are not into history; very dorky I know but it’s still awesome!

When we got to the classroom, we were given a booklet of information about why we are really here – to create interactive lessons/activities.  We were split into 3 groups and we began planning out day 1 of our UK student summer camp that kicks off next Monday.  We spent the rest of the morning before lunch brainstorming what types of strategies that we wanted to do in the specific time period that we have to teach the UK students.  Basically, we are going to divide the students into 3 groups next week and rotate every hour from one group to the next so that they can learn about a different aspect of WWII from us.  My group decided to develop a lesson about the preconceptions of both the British and US soldiers after the USA entered the war in December of 1941, and began coming over to the UK to be stationed in early 1942.  At the end of the day we still were not finished with our lesson and continued working on it after we returned to Homerton after we finished dinner.  We will have 1.5 hours tomorrow morning to complete our lesson before we begin practicing our lessons to our peers in the audience to help us prepare for the arrival of the students on Monday. Together as a whole, we have come up with a pretty interesting lesson; you’ll have to wait until Monday’s post to find out what it all entails.

After dinner, we went to a 1.5 hour lecture from one of the most renowned British scholars, Professor David Reynolds, who provided us with more background on the British and American cooperation and challenges while the US airmen were stationed throughout all of the UK during WWII from 1942-1945.  The lecture was pretty much an open session forum where he began talking about a subject and then we responded with our own questions/comments.  It was very informative overall and I am taking away a whole new perspective about how to teach my students about the war effort during WWII from the British side rather than focusing 100% on how the war affected the Americans.  If anyone is interested, in reading one of his most famous works, please see below:

             Rich Relations:  The American Occupation of Britain  1942-1945  by David Reynolds (Phoenix 

                           Press, 2001)

Day 6-8 (London) July 27-29, 2012

Day 6-8 – London England and the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympic Games

Due to the expected traffic delays for the Olympic Ceremonies in London, we left Cambridge earlier than scheduled; we left at 8:00am.  It took 1.5 hours to get to London and we didn’t experience any traffic, much to everyone’s delight.  Once we arrived in London, we headed to the Imperial War Museum (much like the Smithsonian in Washington, DC) for our tours of that building.  It is the UK national headquarters for all things related to British War History since 1914 and also the main headquarters for the Duxford Airbase.  Upon our arrival, we were given a brief history of the current museum, which is housed in the former London Mental Hospital since the early 1930s.  Also, we were given a tour of the art museum which is housed in the IWM that the museum has commissioned artists since WWI to create.  We were given free time to explore the museum after our tours/lectures were over.  Two of the best things I had the opportunity to see were the hands-on exhibits of trench warfare from WWII and the bombing of London in WWII; sadly, these interactive exhibits will be removed once the renovation of the IWM begins at the end of the year.  Holly, Jenny, and Greg (the organizers of our summer residency program) are very disappointed because they believe that the heads of the museum are taking away something interactive that the museum has to offer for all of the thousands of school children who come to visit the museum each year.

After we finished our time at the IWM, we began our journey to Victoria Park, which is in the heart of London, and it is right next to the Olympic Park (where the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games were to be broadcast on 3 large screens).  Everything was fine and dandy until we arrived at the park and that is when all hell broke loose (pardon the expression).  It took almost 3 hours to get into the park due to horrible check-in/security measures; everyone was at their breaking point and many of us didn’t even want to watch the opening ceremonies at the park because of the extremely long lines but we soldiered on.  Once we FINALLY got through the security checkpoint, things went lovely and everyone had a great time.  It was amazing to me about all of the diversity of citizens from other countries were at the park to watch the ceremonies and I became very enthusiastic for the US to have the Olympic Games as quickly as possible; so much energy and patriotism surrounded the park not just for the UK but all nations involved in the Olympics.  The opening ceremonies were one of the best that I have ever seen; especially the whole Industrial Revolution sequences – AMAZING!

After the opening ceremonies were over, we headed to our weekend accommodations in London and everyone in the group was not thrilled; considering that we didn’t arrive until 3:30am didn’t help much either.  Our accommodations were at a hostel – basically, a hostel is very cheap accommodations where you share rooms with other people and share a bathroom area (much like SHEPHERD)!  We saw some things that will never be mentioned again because what happens at the hostel stays at the hostel.  Also, to make matters worse, we had to be awake at 7:00am so no one got any sleep and we were physically exhausted. 

The next morning, we met for breakfast at the Borough Market on the Bank side of London across the River Thames, and for the first time since I left home, I had a decent breakfast – eggs, bacon, and bubble (an authentic English breakfast).  Bubble is leftover food (vegetables, potatoes, etc) from the previous day that when mixed together and cooked, bubbles.  Afterwards, Jenny took us on a back-alley tour of the streets of London that the major tourists don’t know about – it was fascinating and everyone had a wonderful time.  Some people even commented that they learned more about English/London history in those 6 hours than they ever did in a classroom.  Many of the highlights included:  St. Paul’s Cathedral (I walked to the top and parts of my body hurt that have never hurt before, the site where William Wallace was executed, and the sites of the movie locations for Bridget Jones Diary and Four Weddings and a Funeral.   We were extremely EXHAUSTED – we have done nothing since we arrived but walk and tour historic sites and we are also on very little sleep; especially after the previous late night and our lack of sleep at the hostel!  Once we were finished, we had 2 hours before the play – London Road began at the National Theatre in London; we all decided to site see and shop together as a group.  One of the many things that I have taken from this trip, as well as everyone else, is the fact that we have become a tight-knit group who enjoy each other’s company, have done everything together, and we also haven’t strayed from the group – we are becoming like a family!

London Road was an interesting play – it was about a series of mass murders on London Road in London in 2005.  The premise dealt with the people who lived on London Road when it occurred; the creator of the play/musical interviewed numerous people in the neighborhood during the time period in 2005 to get their reactions to what was happening and what they could have done to unite better as a community to form a neighborhood watch.  It was very good and I would highly recommend it to anyone who will be traveling to London anytime in the near future and you want to catch a show at the theatre.

Due to our pure exhaustion and our horrible experience at the London Hostel, about half of us decided to take the late train from London back to Cambridge at 12:15am because we were physically and mentally exhausted after one week of non-stop activity, while the others stayed the night to finish touring London.  The only thing that I didn’t get to see on my travels throughout London was Buckingham Palace and the changing of the guard, which I found out Sunday evening from the people who stayed back in London occurred.  Also, the Queen’s flag was flying which meant that she was in the palace, and they happened to see the Olympic bicycle race while they were there as well!  L

 Despite my disappointment and the fact that we didn’t arrive in Cambridge until after 2:00am, I needed to come back and get some much needed rest.  I didn’t awake until 12:30pm and it was by far the best night’s sleep that I have had since I arrived in the UK.  Also to make things nicer, it was an ugly rainy day in Cambridge (reminded me of those ugly days at Shepherd when it rained and we skipped class to watch movies all day); due to those circumstances, I was able to relax, check some email, call Sarah – I didn’t take a shower until 3:30.  After I somehow was able to clean up, I headed down to the local Subway to get something to eat and by the time that I returned to Homerton College, it wasn’t until 4:30 that I had my first meal of the day.  Then we went out to dinner in Cambridge at 6:30, but since I ate so late in the day, I wasn’t as hungry as everyone else and had a small appetizer.  We were all very excited about the beginning of our second week of the summer residency program and the majority of the conversation was about what types of activities and learning strategies that we were going to create not only for ourselves, but the UK students who will be arriving during the following week for our weeklong camp!

Day 5 (Duxford) - July 26, 2012

We had some good news and some sad news today.  The good news is that Kori, a girl in the program who lost her luggage last Friday, had her luggage returned to her FINALLY from British Airways.  Sadly though, we found out that another girl in the program, Gemma who is from the UK, had to leave because her grandmother died; we don’t know if she will return for the remaining two weeks. 

Today we were back at Duxford for some classroom instruction and lectures.  What I concluded from today was that their instruction/activities are pretty similar to what the Social Science Department in Loudoun continues to use (HISTORY ALIVE), but they call it CLOUE – Close Up Encounters.  The first lecture that we had dealt with how the British sacrificed on the homefront during WWII and what types of strategies they developed in order to survive the German BLITZ in 1940.  After the instruction portion was over, we were taken to the next room for our activity that allowed us to put some of these strategies the British used to good use.  Basically, what the museum has done is put together one big room with a variety of primary sources from 1940 (examples of the different types of clothing, food, posters, Garden, shelters, bombs used, weapons, etc).  We were allowed to walk around the room to the different sources and touch them while the instructor answered our questions that we had.  Finally, we were broken up into groups of 4, and while in those groups, we were given an artifact from Britain 1940 and we had to brainstorm as to what they artifact would have been used for.    

Following lunch, we engaged in 2 more CLOUE activities:  one that dealt with D-Day and another that dealt with a British Lancaster Bomber used in WWII.  For the D-Day activity, the teacher explained and demonstrated how they teach this to school children: 

·               each person is given a British ID card

·               the students have to read about their life and who was in it

·               then they are given the scenario and duties for the D-Day landings

·               they are given information about the boat ride to the beaches and then…the CHARGE the beaches

o   Once the demonstration is over, the teacher reads aloud a condolence letter from the Ministry of Defense to one of the loved ones from a fallen soldier.

o   The condolence letter was about one of their characters from their British ID card

For the Lancaster Bomber activity, we went to the hanger where the actual bomber rests to do this activity.  When we arrived, all of the men were given a wallet with information and all of the women were given a purse with information – they are our characters for this activity (similar to the D-Day activity).  Next, we were put into specific groups to prepare the bomber for a mission in WWII: flight crew, ground crew, weapon preparation crew, etc.  **The purpose of this activity is to help the students understand that everyone was responsible for the success/failure of a bombing mission in WWII, even though that they were not actually in the plane flying the mission.  The bomber wouldn’t have been successful without everyone on the ground putting the wheels in motion.

After dinner, we have an evening session at 7:30pm from the Imperial War Museum about what we are going to experience at the museum tomorrow in London.  Also, we are given our instructions for our departure time tomorrow for our weekend trip to London for the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games, the play that we will be seeing, and our free day on Sunday.  **Please note that there have been some changes from what I was originally told due to scheduling conflicts with everything that is happening in London with the Olympic Games.  We will now be in Victoria Park tomorrow night watching the Opening Ceremonies on a big screen and not at Olympic Park.  L  Also, we will not be able to watch a play from the Globe Theatre; we will now be watching a play at the Oliver, National Theater.

Due to the crazy activity in London over the next three days, I will be unable to update my blog until Sunday night when I will get back to daily updates.  Have a great weekend everyone and enjoy watching the next 2 weeks of the Olympics on TV.  Also, NFL training camps will be opening this weekend as well;  I know that certain people (Will Kramer) are very excited for the Redskins to show off RG3, while the Steelers fans out there (you know who you are) always are excited…we live for training camp as soon as the season ends!  

Day 4 – (Royal Air Force Base Mildenhall and Madingley Cemetary) July 25, 2012

As the normal way to start the day, breakfast was blah...same as it has been since I arrived.  We then took a bus after breakfast and headed to the Cambridge American Cemetary and received a 2 hour tour from the curator.  He gave us a tour of the cemetery and told us some unknown stories about the US dead who are buried there.  Below are some of the details that we were told:

·               Over 3,000 dead US soldiers are buried there from WWI and WWII.

·               Over 5,00 missing names are engraved on the wall in the cemetery including Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. – 

                  JFK’s older brother whose body was never found because his bomber in WWII caught on fire and 

                  crashed into the Atlantic before he could escape.

·               All of the tombstones have a cross except 80 which are of the Star of David

·              24 tombstones are unknown

·              1 set of brothers are in the cemetery – I brother is buried and the other brother’s body has never been 

          recovered and his name is on the wall of missing

·               All tombstones come from Italy

After the tour was over, we headed to the RAF Mendenhall – the former British base that now is the home of the US Air Force Refueling Station for a tour.  One of the pilots explained how the British government has granted us permission to use the base and that there is still a British officer who lives on the base and gives the American’s rules to follow.  Next, we were given a tour of the KC-137 of the cockpit, cargo hold, and rear section of the plane that extends the buoy stick to help planes refuel in mid air.  The only thing that was boring about today’s tour was the Historian on the US Air Force Base at RAF Mendenhall

Mendenhall – he was so boring and dull!  Considering we have had British tour guides for the past 3 days and they are so cultured, refined, and energetic, this guy was very monotone and everyone started to dose off once the tour of the aircraft was over – I hope that is not how I will react when I return to school for my 2 weeks of orientation days starting on August 15^th!

Day 3 (Duxford) - July 24, 2012

Still no Internet service!!  We were able to find out this morning that Homerton is extra crowded this summer for summer/international classes and that we got shifted to the only housing unit on campus that doesn’t have WiFi service; they don’t use this housing unit during a normal school year for students.  Due to this slight (BIG) problem for all of us, we have to go to the lobby of the student union to get Internet service or wait until we get to the Duxford Airbase. 

Breakfast hasn’t been the greatest (Sarah, you were right!  J)  so far; we’ve only been given a croissant, 2 pieces of cheese, and 2 pieces of ham, plus fruit.  The lunches though have been great so far; sandwich, potato chips, fruit, water, and muffin.  Our dinners have varied; we have gone out to eat at various restaurants so far but today we ate dinner on campus at the dinning hall – that brought back some fond memories at Shepherd!  Speaking of our dinning hall, I joked this morning at breakfast with everyone in my group that the dinning area reminded me greatly of the dinning/common area from the Harry Potter movies (you gotta love the English school architecture)!   I got some huge laughs from that compliment (mainly from the Brits), but everyone was apparently thinking the same thing.

Once the taxi dropped us off at Duxford, we began our introduction to the social media outlet that we will be required to work with/introduce to the students for the upcoming school year – RADIOWAVES!  At first, we were given a brief overview of the formation of the RADIOWAVES technology and then the two representatives from the headquarters gave us a tutorial about the different functions (similar to Facebook and Twitter but heavy restrictions on personal updates) and how we would browse the system.  After that was over, like clockwork, it was tea and crackers (cookies) time…not a fan of tea but of course I ate the cookies!  When our break was over, we returned to the classroom and were given our assignment before lunch – in groups of 4, we had to search the British Air Museum and find 3 distinctively different things and find the common similarity with each to video tape so that we could upload to our social media page.  My group identified – spam in a can, microwave, and the cockpit of the Concord Airplane; each person had a different responsibility for the assignment.  I was the actor of the show, since my computer technology and video taping skills are limited, who conducted the introduction and was able to throw paper airplanes at the bulls-eye target on a British fighter plane from WWII…how many people can say that they were allowed to do that at the Smithsonian or Udvar-Hazy?? None…they would have been attacked by the SAWT team, national security, the Secret Service, or some other law enforcement group if someone would have sneezed on it.  Nick did the video taping and voice over and Jessica spliced it all together using her MAC computer for our presentation.  Each group created something different which was to the liking of the instructors – we didn’t’ come close to having anything similar!

After our classroom session was completed for the day, we had some time to browse through the gift shop before we were scheduled to go on our tour of the living quarter so the Duxford AirBase.  I purchased some British postcards of British propaganda from WWII so that I could create my own poster and laminate it when I return to school on August 15^th, and some British ration coupon books to compare to my US ration coupon books to explain to my students.  Our tour guide for the living quarters was very knowledgeable about the base and everything that happened here between 1918 when the base opened and 1961 when it closed.  The more that I listen to the Brits talk with their English accent the more I enjoy it!  Sarah you will be happy to know that I now understand why you enjoy studying the English culture so much…it’s like a tractor-beam!!  Every British person who I’ve come in contact with has been sincere, helpful, and funny.  Makes me wonder why we wanted to break apart from them back in 1776…just kidding (Viva la America!!)

After 3 very busy days of non-stop touring and walking, we were given the night off for some much needed free time.  Once dinner was over, everyone in the summer residency program, headed to downtown Cambridge to take in the sights and stop by 2 British watering holes (The Old Derby and the Flying Pig – now I remember why we broke away from England in 1776; weird names like that) to relax and get better acquainted.  Tomorrow, the weather is suppose to be in the upper 80s and we are required to wear dress clothes and shoes to visit another local airbase, but also, we will be touring a cemetery in dress shoes…does anyone else think that this will not end well?  Haha.

Day 2 (American Air Base in Duxford) - July 23, 2012

Our first full day of the summer residency began at 8:30am and didn’t conclude until 10:30pm.  Most of us who traveled from the US were extremely tired today and it showed.  After we taxied over to the museum in Duxford, we were given a brief overview and welcome from the director of the museum, who reports to the director of the Imperial War Museum, who reports directly to the Queen of England.  Next, we did an ice breaker activity with all of the members of the group who said were they were from, their education background (sound familiar LCPS teachers…haha), and showed an artifact that we were required to bring along to relate to our area/school.  I brought with me my LCPS badge and explained that it was our key card to enter the building; as well as some Virginia wine corks to let everyone know how big the wine industry is in Loudoun County.  Also, I did bring a small joke book titled, You Know You’re a Republican-Democrat as a joke to inform everyone how much of a role that the US Government plays in NOVA due to our close proximity to Washington, D.C. 

We had a morning break around 11:00am with tea and crackers (cookies to us in America), then followed that with a 30 minute history presentation of the background of the Duxford Airbase.  The brief history is as follows:

·               Built in 1918 as a place to train and educate Royal Air Force Pilots.

·               Between WWI and WWII years, base continued to train pilots and conduct air shows

·               1940 (Battle of Britain) = Duxford housed fighter planes and bombers that would eventually be the sinlge           

                  greatest difference between the Allies and Axis Powers of WWII.  Duxford’s role during the BLITZ 

                  was to defend the industrial works in Britain from German air attacks and support/aid/defend North 

                  and Lower London

·                 In 1943, the first US plans arrived (US 78^th Fighter Group) and the base changed over to US hands from 

                   the British.  B-47 Thunderbolts would eventually arrive as well to escort bombers over Germany 

                   and aid the ground attack missions.

·                  In 1953, US built a new runway and hanger for planes; also, the British introduced the first jet planes in 

                   British history here as well (Meteors).

·                  In 1954 a brand new control tower was built to accommodate the heavier airplane traffic

·                  In 1960, due to increasing Cold War military costs, outdated aircraft, and the distance from London (1+ 

                    hours) the Duxford Airbase was closed.

·                  Mid 1970s =the base was not maintained after its closure and it was starting to ruin.  Volunteers who 

                    cared about the area and the role that the base had in local history began to restore, house, and 

                    show historic/vintage aircraft since WWI and the role of the American military in the development 

                    and expansion of Duxford.

      2 movies have been filmed on the air base.  The first was the Battle of Britain in 1968 and the second 

               was The Memphis Belle in 1990.

Afterwards, we had a picnic lunch on the grounds of the airbase and watched vintage planes take off and land; then we began our tour of the American Aircraft Museum.  This museum is the largest museum in the world (outside of the USA) that houses the most US aircraft from our aviation history.  Next, we had our afternoon break which consisted of mingling with the Imperial War Museum officials along with coffee and cake.  Then we got in the jeep and were given a car tour of the runway and surrounding area of the base.  Finally, our last big event of the day was a ride in a vintage 1943 Dragon Rapide that lasted 15-20 minutes.  That was awesome.  I took a 5 minute video of our takeoff and circling of the airbase that I will upload when I get the opportunity. 

We departed Duxford at 5:00 to make our way to the Red Lion Inn in Duxford for a group dinner; I had bangers and mash!  J  This gave everyone to debrief on our first full day and continue bonding.   After dinner was over, we returned to the airbase and watched 3 vintage short propaganda films from WWII at the Astra Cinema…the same cinema where WWII soldiers watched movies and relaxed when they had free time.  We arrived back at Homerton College at 10:30pm to finally get to bed, and considering we were exhausted from yesterday’s travel day and the long first full day, it didn’t take long for any of us to crash.

Day 1 (Arrival in London) - July 22, 2012

Once I arrived at Dulles Airport, I had an easy time checking in and getting through the security checkpoint with ease.  It has been a while since I took an international flight and I forgot how speedy and efficient the flight was – my departure time was 9:05pm and we left at 9:05pm.  Upon arrival at Heathrow Airport in London, you could tell that the whole airport was in Olympics mode due to the speedy entry into the U.K. except for the guy Jaime who is from Fairfax County (he was detained by the U.K. customs officials).  He wrote down the wrong information on the extended stay card and got detained in the locked room until he could find the paperwork that had to correct address that we are staying at for 3 weeks…everyone, including the U.K. customs officials had a laugh afterwards and they allowed him to keep the detainment card as a souvenir. 

Once I made through the checkpoint, my cell phone didn’t work even though I set up my international sym-card…thanks Verizon!  I scrambled to find an Internet café so that I could tell Sarah and my parents that I arrived safely; afterwards, it was onto the Underground (subway/metro) for my 1 hour journey into London.  It is much nicer than the DC Metro and/or NYC Subway system!  Once I arrived at my stop in London @ 11:30, I made my way to the Churchill War Rooms where I was to drop off my luggage and meet up with the other NOVA teachers.  Since we weren’t meeting until 1:00, I  had some time to kill so I walked down to 10 Downing Street (this is where the U.K. Prime Minister lives), Westminster Abbey, and over to the British Houses of Parliament and Big Ben to take some photos. 

I meet up with the NOVA teachers @ 1:00 and then we headed over to the Red Lion Inn for some lunch where I had fish and chips.  Due to the crowds upstairs, we made our way to the downstairs seating area and since no one was there, we had some time to get to know each other better while we ate.  Then, we made our way to the River Thames for a 90 minute boat ride tour until the opening banquet started at 5:00.  Below are a few of the sights we saw:

·                        London Eye (36 pods that hold 20+ people in each pod where you can see for 30 miles)

·                       Cleopatra’s Needle (the twin is located in Central Park in NYC)

·                       St. Paul’s Cathedral

·                      Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre (replica only)

·                      The London Bridge and the Tower Bridge (often confused by people to be the London Bridge but that   

              is incorrect.)

·                       Tower of London

When the welcome banquet started, we meet the rest of our party which included 4 teachers from Seattle and 1 teacher each form Kansas and New York.  We were then given a behind the scenes exclusive VIP only tour of the Churchill War Rooms…this is the underground bunker where Churchill and his military cabinet stayed and conducted battle during the Battle of Britain in 1940 for the defense of all of England (otherwise known as the BLITZ to the British).  Once we finished, we had a dinner reception and then got on the coach bus to take us to our living quarters for the next three weeks – Homerton College in Cambridge.  When we arrived, we found out that the WiFi connection didn’t work in our rooms which pretty much ended the long day on a sour note because we hadn’t had Internet connection for almost 24 hours…unheard of in today’s society right??!!  Speaking of our rooms, I am very envious as I’m sure everyone who went to Shepherd will be because the rooms are much nicer than our college days.  I have my own sweet with a personal bathroom, 2 closets with all of the space I could ever need and a huge desk; my bed however is very small and my feet hang off the edge of the bed.  Anyway, needless to say that due to the time change and being in a strange place for the first night, didn’t go to bed until well after 3:30am and woke up around 7:00am but it was a restless sleep.

Departure Day for London, England

Well the time has arrived for me to "leave on a jet plane" for England.  Can anyone guess which song that I am referring to?  Haha.  I can't believe how fast the summer has gone; it has been a very memorable summer so far (mine and Sarah's engagement) and it isn't over yet!  I thought this day would never arrive and now that it has, I have mixed emotions; I'm excited and nervous all at the same time.

My flight out of Dulles Airport is tonight at 9:05pm and I will arrive at Heathrow Airport in London at 9:25am on Sunday, July 22.  Once I leave tonight, I will be out of text/cell phone communication for the three weeks that I will be gone, and I won't be able to be reached except via email and/or Facebook.  I will update my blog daily so that you can follow along during my once-in-a-lifetime adventure across the pond.

Below is my detailed 3 week schedule/itinerary as promised.  The next time that I will post on this blog will be from jolly old England!


WEEK 1
Day 1: Sunday 22 July
17.00 Meet at IWM Churchill War Rooms
17.15-18:15 Tour CWR with Director, Phil Reed
18.15-19.45 Cold buffet and drinks, with time to explore the museum
19.45 Assemble in lobby
20.00 Coach departs for Homerton College
21:30 Arrive at Homerton College and check in

Day 2: Monday 23 July
07:30-08:30 Breakfast at Homerton College
08:30 Taxi departs for IWM Duxford
09:00-09:30 Welcome from IWMD Director, Richard Ashton (Building 58)
09:30-09:45 Housekeeping and introductions
10:30-11:00 Morning break
11:00-12:30 Historic Duxford with Carl Warner, Research & Information Manager
12:30-13:30 Lunch
13:30-14:45 Tour of the AAM with Holly Medland and Head Of Interpretation &
Collections, Steve Woolford (American Air Museum)
14:45-15:30 Tea and Cakes (Concorde Room)
15:30-17:00 Flight in the Dragon Rapide and Control Tower tour (Control Tower)
17:15 Taxi departs for Red Lion Inn
17:30-19:15 Meal at Red Lion Inn
19:15 Taxi departs for IWM Duxford
19:30-21:30 Films in the Astra Cinema
21:45 Taxi departs for Homerton College
22:00 Arrive at Homerton College

Day 3: Tuesday 24 July
07:30-08:30 Breakfast at Homerton College
08:30 Taxi departs for IWM Duxford
09:00-10:30 RadiowavesWorkshop (Learning Space 1)
10:30-11:00 Break
1100:12:30 RadiowavesWorkshop (Learning Space 1)
12:30-13:30 Lunch
13:30-16:00 RadiowavesWorkshop (Learning Space 1)
16:00-17:00 Tour of the North Side with IvorWarne
17:15 Taxi to Homerton College
17:30-19:00 Dinner at Homerton College
Evening Free time

Day 4: Wednesday 25 July
07:30-08:30 Breakfast at Homerton College
09:15 Coach departs for Madingley Cemetery
10:00-11:00 Tour of Madingley Cemetery with historian, Arthur Brookes
11:00-11:45 Time to look around Madingley
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11:45 Coach departs for RAF Mildenhall
12:45-17:00 Tour of RAF Mildenhall with 100 ARW Historian, Mark Howell
17:00 Coach to Cambridge
18:00 Meal at The Eagle pub

Day 5: Thursday 26 July
07:30-08:30 Breakfast at Homerton College
08:30 Taxi departs for IWM Duxford
09:00-10:30 Master class: Home Front with Robina Hodgeson (Learning Space 2)
10:30-11:00 Tea and cakes (DAS café)
1100:12:30 Conservation Presentation with Chris Knapp (Hangar 5)
12:30-13:30 Lunch
13:30-15:00 Master class: Lancaster bomber with Robina Hodgeson (AirSpace)
15:00-15:30 Break
15:30-17:00 Master class: Informal Learning with Phil Sawford (Learning Space 4)
17:15 Taxi departs for Homerton College
17:30-19:00 Dinner at Homerton College
19:30 The IWM and Learning, talk with Director of Learning and Interpretation,
Sam Heywood (Alison Shrubsole Room, Homerton College)

Day 6: Friday 27 July
07:30-08:30 Breakfast at Homerton College
09:00 Coach to IWM London
10:30 Arrival at IWM London
11:00-13:00 Introduction to IWM Library Collection with Head of Collections Access,
Fergus Read and Librarian, Sarah Paterson (Old Dome Reading Room)
13:30-14:30 Lunch (Foyer)
14:30-15:30 Free time to look at exhibitions in IWM London
15:30-17:00 IWM Collections: The War Artists Advisory Committee with curator, Sara
Bevan
17:00 Travel to Victoria Park for picnic to watch the Olympic Games opening
ceremony on outdoor screens (optional)
Evening: Check in at the Generator Hostel London

Day 7: Saturday 28 July
07:30 Leave hostel and travel to London Bridge tube
08:00 Breakfast at Borough Market
09:00-14:30 Tour of Southwark and the City of London, including St Paul’s Cathedral
14:30 Afternoon tea
15:15 Sir John Soane’s Museum/Royal College of Surgeons (optional)
18:30 Dinner at National Theatre (optional)
19:30 London Road at the Olivier, National Theatre
Evening Return to the Generator Hostel

Day 8: Sunday 29 July
AM Check out of hostel and free time (train ticket to Cambridge provided –
the quickest trains take 45 minutes from King’s Cross and go every hour
at 15 minutes past, up until 23:15. There are later, slower trains running
up until 1:06.)

WEEK 2
Day 9: Monday 30 July
07:30-08:30 Breakfast at Homerton
08:30 Minibus to Duxford
09:00-09:45 USAAF Uniforms with curator Martin Boswell (Learning Space 1)
09:45-10:30 Literature perspectives (AirSpace Meeting Room)
10:30-10:45 Break
10:45-12:00 Group workshops (Learning Space 1, 2 and Meeting Room)
12:00-13:00 Lunch (Meeting Room)
13:00-14:15 Group workshops
14:15-15:15 First group trials
15:15-15:30 Break
15:30-16:30 Second group trials
16:30-17:30 Third group trials
17:45 Minibus
18:00-19:00 Dinner at Homerton
20:00 Discussion: The Wartime Alliance: Legacies and Perspectives led by
Prof. David Reynolds (Alison Shrubsole Room, Homerton)

Day 10: Tuesday 31 July
07:30-08:30 Breakfast at Homerton
08:30 Minibus to Duxford
09:30-10:30 Past Pleasures: re-enactment workshop (Learning Space 1)
10:30-10:45 Break
10:45-12:00 Past Pleasures: re-enactment workshop
12:00-13:00 Lunch (Meeting Room)
13:00-14:15 Group workshops (Learning Space 1, 2 and Meeting Room)
14:15-15:15 First group trials
15:15-15:30 Break
15:30-16:30 Second group trials
16:30-17:30 Third group trials
17:45 Minibus
18:00-19:00 Dinner at Homerton
19:00 Depart Homerton for King’s College
19:30 Tour of Cambridge (Meet at King’s College on King’s Parade)

Day 11: Wednesday 1 August
07:30-07:45 Breakfast at Homerton
07:45 Coach to Chiselhurst Caves
10:15-11:15 Tour of Chiselhurst Caves
11:20 Coach to Dover Castle
13:00-13:30 Lunch
13:30-17:30 Tour of Dover Castle
17:30 Coach to Homerton (packed dinner provided)
Evening Free time

Day 12: Thursday 2 August
07:30-08:30 Breakfast at Homerton
08:30 Minibus to Duxford
09:00-09:45 Debate: Effectiveness of Bombing Strategy (Air Space Meeting Room)
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09:45-10:30 Talk with Harry Irons, veteran of Bomber Command (Air Space Meeting
Room)
10:30-10:45 Break
10:45-12:00 Group workshops (Learning Space 1, 2 and Meeting Room)
12:00-13:00 Lunch (Meeting Room)
13:00-14:15 Group workshops (Learning Space 1, 2 and Meeting Room)
14:15-15:15 First group trials (Learning Space 1, 2 and Meeting Room)
15:15-15:30 Break
15:30-16:30 Second group trials (Learning Space 1, 2 and Meeting Room)
16:30-17:30 Third group trials (Learning Space 1, 2 and Meeting Room)
17:45 Minibus
18:00-19:00 Dinner at Homerton
Evening Free time

Day 13: Friday 3 August
07:30-08:30 Breakfast at Homerton
08:30 Minibus to Duxford
09:00-09:45 AAM Prisoner of War collections with Collections Manager, John Delaney
(Air Space Meeting Room)
09:45-10:30 Effects of Incarceration with criminology lecturer, Jason Warr (Learning
Space 1)
10:30-10:45 Break
10:45-12:00 Group workshops (Learning Space 1, 2 and Meeting Room)
12:00-13:00 Lunch (Meeting Room)
13:00-14:15 Group workshops (Learning Space 1, 2 and Meeting Room)
14:15-15:15 First group trials (Learning Space 1, 2 and Meeting Room)
15:15-15:30 Break
15:30-16:30 Second group trials (Learning Space 1, 2 and Meeting Room)
16:30-17:30 Third group trials (Learning Space 1, 2 and Meeting Room)
17:45 Minibus
18:00-19:00 Dinner at Homerton
Evening Free time

Day 14 & 15: Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 August
Free time

WEEK 3
Day 16: Monday 6 August
07:30-08:00 Breakfast at Homerton
08:00 Minibus to Duxford
08:30-09:00 Greet young people at Duxford
09:00-10:30 Activity 1 (Learning Spaces 1,2 and 4)
10:30-11:00 Break (Picnic Room)
11:00-12:30 Activity 2 (Learning Spaces 1,2 and 4)
12:30-13:30 Lunch (Picnic Room)
13:30-15:00 Activity 3 (Learning Spaces 1,2 and 4)
15:00-15:30 Young people leave
15:30-17:00 Debrief and prepare for the next day
17:15 Minibus to Homerton
17:30-19:00 Dinner at Homerton
Evening Free time

Day 17: Tuesday 7 August
07:30-08:00 Breakfast at Homerton
08:00 Minibus to Duxford
08:30-09:00 Greet young people at Duxford
09:00-10:30 Activity 1 + 2 Radiowaves (Learning Spaces 1,2 and 4)
10:30-11:00 Break (Picnic Room)
11:00-12:30 Activity 2 + 3 Radiowaves (Learning Spaces 1,2 and 4)
12:30-13:30 Lunch (Picnic Room)
13:30-15:00 Activity 1 + 3 Radiowaves (Learning Spaces 1,2 and 4)
15:00-15:30 Young people leave
15:30-17:00 Debrief and prepare for the next day
17:15 Minibus to Homerton
17:30-19:00 Dinner at Homerton
Evening Free time

Day 18: Wednesday 8 August
07:30-08:00 Breakfast at Homerton
08:00 Minibus to Duxford
08:30-09:00 Greet young people at Duxford
09:00-10:30 Activity 1 (Learning Spaces 1,2 and 4)
10:30-11:00 Break (Picnic Room)
11:00-12:30 Activity 2 (Learning Spaces 1,2 and 4)
12:30-13:30 Lunch (Picnic Room)
13:30-15:00 Activity 3 (Learning Spaces 1,2 and 4)
15:00-15:30 Young people leave
15:30-17:00 Debrief and prepare for the next day
17:15 Minibus to Homerton
17:30-19:00 Dinner at Homerton
Evening Free time

Day 19: Thursday 9 August
07:30-08:00 Breakfast at Homerton
08:00 Minibus to Duxford
08:30-09:00 Greet young people at Duxford
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09:00-10:30 Activity 1 (Learning Spaces 1,2 and 4)
10:30-11:00 Break (Picnic Room)
11:00-12:30 Activity 2 (Learning Spaces 1,2 and 4)
12:30-13:30 Lunch (Picnic Room)
13:30-15:00 Activity 3 (Learning Spaces 1,2 and 4)
15:00-15:30 Break
15:30-21:00 Films in Astra Cinema, sports and BBQ
Evening Overnight in the AAM

Day 20: Friday 10 August
07:30-08:30 Breakfast (Picnic Room)
08:30-09:00 Presentation ceremony for Summer Camp
09:00-09:30 Young people leave
09:30-13:00 Initial debrief and collect lunch
13:00 Minibus to Homerton (time variable)
PM Free time
17:30-19:00 Dinner at Homerton
Evening Free time

Day 21: Saturday 11 August
09:00-12:00 Develop class project (Alison Shrubsole Room, Homerton)
PM Free time
18:30 Leaving dinner at Le Gross Franck

Day 22: Sunday 12 August
07:30-08:30 Breakfast at Homerton
AM Check out