General News


Index
Lenten Talks Series
Jesuit Schools' Concert, Stamford Hill
The Lord Hoyle of Warrington
Poetry Parents' Weekend
The Headmaster's Concert
U18’s Hockey squad wins two tournaments
The real Oscars!
St Omer's wins Interline Music Cup
Author visits Stonyhurst
Mary Ann gains Royal Schools of Music diploma
Fr Robert Halshaw, Forces Chaplain
Fashion for St Peter's
The Poetry Banquet
Fairtrade Fortnight
Bishop Peter Doyle
Nigel Evans, MP
Roses for Haiti
Chirwirangwe!
Navigational skills honed on Whernside
The Baroness Cox, of Queensbury
Collection for Haiti
Invitation to the dance
Eton Choral Course
Extra Curricular Activities Schedule for the Easter Term
Candlemas Celebration
The British Fencing North West Region Lancashire Schools Fencing Competition & the Stonyhurst Challenge
Higher Line reels!
David sings for Haiti Appeal
Lower Grammar consider their futures
Artist's visit
Bear-faced cheek!
Lower Grammar’s feast day
Simon represents Great Britain
British Council grant for the Spanish Exchange
Lancashire Schools Foil, Epee & Sabre Competition
Oxbridge Success
Kevin Barrett OS Captains England Rugby Sevens
Syntax Parents' Weekend
Stonyhurst's new Development Director
Stonyhurst in the snow!
UK Maths Challenge
'Sweeney Todd'
The Christmas Cabaret
Public Speaking success
'Sweeney Todd'
XXXIII Cross Country Invitation race
English Youth Ballet
The Christmas Concert
'Netting Fishes' by Fr John Twist, SJ
Cultural trip to Rome
The Great Pink Run
Advent Retreat for Parents
Glaciers, geysers and gorges
The Curator visits El Salvador
Big Band Paris Tour 2009
SCRAP wins Dragons' Den award
Ambassador's visit
Pawel wins a Cambridge organ scholarship
Headmaster's Concert
Sweeney Todd
The role of political parties in a democracy
A Successful Open Day at the College
The Power of Good for Business
Schola Cantorum Performances
Professor the Lord Norton of Louth
Charity run for cystic fibrosis
Small business masterclass
The Grammar Playroom Feast
Big Band concert
The Politics Society
CCF weekend
Stonyhurst's Social Enterprise company
Mass of Thanksgiving
Stonyhurst's German Exchange
Theatre Company coming to Stonyhurst
St Therese of Lisieux
The Prison System: Actuality and Ideal
The AAC visits Stonyhurst
Political participation
Mary Ann plays on Radio 3
Glaciers, geysers and gorges

Iceland is rapidly becoming one of the most sought after travel destinations in the world and that’s not just for geography fieldtrips, although Mr Soars did observe that if there was a catastrophic earthquake during our visit it would probably wipe out half the world’s population of geography teachers!

Billed as an awe-inspiring country with spectacular natural features, Iceland does not disappoint. Our 5 day trip was packed with the most stunning waterfalls, spectacular glaciers, wild gorges and a raft of geothermal features all wrapped up in a centuries-old Norse culture where people are only known by their first name.

It is a stunningly varied country and as a group of sixteen geographers from Syntax, Poetry and Rhetoric and four staff, we were well equipped to enjoy at first hand the educational value of seeing things that up until that point were viewed only on the pages of a textbook. However, Iceland is also an unforgettable destination in its own right and indeed we had three ‘tourists’ with us who came just to enjoy the experience and take in the amazing natural sights

On our action packed programme we saw the Gullfoss waterfall (just as spectacular as Niagara),walked through a stunning rift valley at Thingvellir, site of the world’s first parliament and marvelled at geysers that are active all the time so there’s only a 5 minute wait until a 50ft high eruption. Global warming is discussed widely but to stand at the snout of the Myrdals-jokull Glacier and hear from our guide (Skooli) that just two years ago it was at least 200metres in front of where we were standing brings home the stark realities. Skooli himself was a highlight of the trip, incredibly knowledgeable and able to entertain with the singing of traditional folk songs as we wound our way along the southern coastal route in our specially adapted tour bus.

We also visited a geo-thermal centre where you could boil eggs in the bubbling sulphur pools and hear anecdotes about the family watching television, only to be interrupted by a new undiscovered geyser erupting through the sitting room floor!

Electricity in Iceland is very cheap as it is produced geo-thermally; glasshouses are heated 24/7 and allow a wide range of produce to be grown, including bananas.

It will be a trip that months from now we will all continue to smile and talk about. Iceland is not the sort of destination students are likely to visit as adults or on a family holiday, but the experience will last forever. Who can forget the atmospheric Blue Lagoon on a chilly October night or the surreal experience at the most entertaining folk museum you could ever wish to visit – you had to be there.

 

Mrs Helen Harris


Stonyhurst College, Clitheroe, Lancashire, England BB7 9PZ
Main switchboard: +44 (0) 1254 826 345 Admissions: +44(0)1254 827 073
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