Tuesday 19th March 1991
Field trip to Wasdale
In 1991 I was teaching at Denbigh School in Milton Keynes. To make trips and classes viable at sixth form level we had groups made up of pupils from both Denbigh and Lord Grey Schools. The week long Geography field trip followed a common format tested and revised over the previous ten years.
Friday 15th
Collect van from County depot in Aylesbury. Brian Curry would provide the second bus for Lord Grey.
Sunday 17th
Meet students and parents at Denbigh School 1.00
Drive to Langdale Youth Hostel for 7
8 Planning meeting for week. Groups, exercises, house rules etc.
Talk by Lake District Planner on issues facing Lake District planners
Monday 18th
Planning day- Group projects on developments around Windermere and Ambleside.
Evening – group presentations on plans for development – e.g. Beatrix Potter Theme Park, Ambleside Water Ski Centre, Tesco’s superstore in Bowness, new Windermere by pass.
Tuesday 19th
Morning Visit Sellafield 10 appointment for guided tour
P.M. Seascale village – coastal landscapes and Wasdale – field sketching of Glacial Morphology in the landscape. Environmental landscape scoring exercise
Wednesday 20th
Climb Langdale Pikes. From Dungeon Ghyll around Stickle tarn. To Pikes and back down.
7. Presentation of finished plans to returning planner
Thursday 21st
Rivers Day Drop groups off along stretches of Elterwater – Measure and record rivers speeds, cross sections, water quality etc. Day spent transporting groups form site to site.
Write up River results and present to other groups.
Trip to pub at 9 if finished
Late walk back up hill by 12
Friday 22nd
Drive home leave 10, home by 3
Diary Entry
Tuesday 19th March
The drive to Sellafield went simply and without any mishaps. I always enjoy taking mini buses over Hard Knott pass. It is good fun to get the group a bit worried as we take the hairpins at the necessary speed. No obvious signs of over worn students after the first night. I had to stay up quite late listening out for the tell-tale clinking of potential late night revelry. Having said that it was perhaps a bit unkind to work them until 10 in the evening on their plans.
The guides at Sellafield were their usual selves. The students find it hard to get in to real questioning of the data that is all too readily spills out of the guides. I was again left to do the questioning with what was, by the end, a limited audience of pupils who were rather sceptical of it all. The walk in Seascale is always good because the question of jobs versus the environment can be put in the context of obvious unemployment and a totally depressed village.
Wasdale is always a good contrast for the pupils. We decided to add in some environmental assessment analysis for the journey home. Starting with the view of Wasdale Head and Scafell Pike we stopped every few miles and did a crude sketch and rank exercise. Did a small detour via Barrow in Furness to get some genuine contrast.
Tea at 6 – The legendary meat and potato pie.
Meeting at 7 – Exercise to collate and share results. Easy method sorted by group A
Field sketching game – points for labels of appropriate landscape features on field sketches. Group B win.
Debate on future of Nuclear power at Sellafield. Group A win again.
Finish at 10 – Cathy’s turn at late night patrolling. Phone Fi – she’s fine, all Easter Assemblies and masses to worry about.
Check kit for walk tomorrow. Six groups of 3 works best.
Bed around 12
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