Despite the dark and cold weather as 48 students and 5 staff gathered outside the tennis courts at 6.45am on Saturday 18th October, spirits were high amongst all as we were about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime – a week in Los Angeles!
Mercifully, the trip down to Heathrow was trouble-free – all had remembered their passports, the traffic was kind and after a lengthy check-in process (to the disappointment of many of our students who had to abandon their plans for a Wagamama breakfast), we were on the plane and ready for take-off. The noisy buzz of excitement from the students as they eagerly browsed their seatback screens deciding which films to watch was only matched by the sounds of the sighs of relief from the staff who had successfully managed to navigate 48 students through Heathrow Terminal 5 and onto the British Airways Airbus A380.
11 hours later, we touched down in LAX and after a surprisingly painless experience with the US Customs and baggage reclaim, we met our tour guide Tony and it was time to see the sights and sounds of one of the busiest and most iconic cities in the world. We made our way via coach to Wood Ranch Burbank, an iconic US chain diner, and although many were very tired, the food was excellent and it was a positive way to combat the jetlag. The bus finally took us to our lodgings for the week, the Freehand Hotel in Downtown LA, and it didn’t take any of us long to find sleep after a mammoth day of travelling.
The next morning, all rose well-rested and ready to truly start the trip. And arguably, this was our most important day, as we would be travelling to the world-famous Universal Studios California, not only to experience the attractions of this iconic park, but there was also the very small matter of performing on their Main Stage. Following the excitement of venturing out for the first time for breakfast (with many students marvelling at the culinary options we are yet to benefit from in the UK, including Dunkin’ Donuts, Whole Foods Market and Paris Baguette), we had our first experience of the LA Metro system, taking the short journey towards North Hollywood.
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Task number one of the day was the performance itself, and despite fewer audience numbers than hoped, I have never been so proud and humbled by the efforts of our students, all of whom gave it their very best shot and truly participated to the full, following weeks of lunchtime rehearsals back in the UK. We performed a full 30-minute medley of British classics, including songs by The Beatles, David Bowie and Adele, which was a real crows-pleaser with the US audience. Following this, it was time to enter the park, at which point the students made quite the beeline for the more exotic attractions, whilst the staff settled for a more tame initial activity – a coffee in Starbucks. However, once appropriately fuelled, we made the most of our time, visiting Nintendo Land, the backlot tour and Harry Potter World to sample the attractions. I must admit however that my favourite experience was the Jurassic World water ride, where I took great pleasure in seeing Mr Finn and Mr Lissaman get completely soaked whilst I remained mostly dry. Dinner on Universal CityWalk was the perfect way to end a memorable day.
The next morning, we were again up bright and early for breakfast before another Metro journey, this time the long journey to the coast for a day at Santa Monica. We hired bikes to cycle down the famous Venice Beach path (I am not sure I have ever quite laughed so much witnessing Mr Finn and Mrs Markham almost plough straight into a nearby parked car within seconds of setting off on their tandem bike), followed by a relaxed lunch and games of volleyball at a nearby beach bar. Shopping on 3rd Street Promenade followed, after which it was time to experience the magic of Santa Monica Pier and its iconic attractions. The day ended with another fabulous dinner at Bubba Gump, where we celebrated Mabelle Jones’ birthday in style, and a long Metro ride home when again, sleep was not difficult to find.
The following day it was time to truly experience the iconic nature of Los Angeles, with a day spend in Hollywood itself. We began with the trek up to the Hollywood Bowl, one of the most notorious performance venues in the world, which also gave a wonderful view of the famous Hollywood sign and an opportunity for students to reflect on the huge number of historic occasions that had taken place at the venue over the past 100 years. Lunch at the Hard Rock Café was extremely well-received, after which students were given some free time to experience the Hollywood Boulevard, where an intense game of ‘spot the famous name on the Hollywood star’ was instigated. We then enjoyed a fascinating Behind-the-Scenes tour, led by our highly knowledgeable guides Tony and Michael, during which we learned all about the history of this historic movie location, and saw famous sights such as the Chinese Theatre, the Dolby Theatre (home of the Oscars) and the El Capitan Theatre, now owned by Disney where it premieres all of its films. Finally, we took the Metro to spend the evening in Little Tokyo, where students enjoyed dinner and immersing themselves in this micro-representation of Japan – many of them also chose to purchase an authentic piece of Japanese headwear to mark the occasion.
Day 5 once again dawned bright and sunny, quite the opposite to the weather experienced back at home, and after another enjoyable breakfast, we made our way to the University of Southern California, a world-famous private institution providing a true American-style College experience. Students were inspired by the campus, many of whom no doubt now have aspirations to study there in the future, particularly the Schools of Film and Music, named after none other than Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Following lunch, we returned to the hotel to enjoy a couple of hours in the beautiful sunshine at the rooftop pool (which, despite the sun beating down on it, was ice cold – congratulations to the students brave enough to go in!), and then headed off again for a tour of Downtown LA. This was once again led by our wonderful guides, Tony and Michael, whose knowledge of the area and innovative use of technology to bring to life the filming locations from so many iconic movies was invaluable. We saw many famous locations including the Bradbury Building (which we were lucky enough to go inside), Angel’s Flight, the Walt Disney Concert Hall (home of the LA Philharmonic), the Museum of Contemporary Art and the LA Public Library. Dinner followed at Grand Central Market, after which it was time to return to the hotel to pack ready for our departure the following day.
As students gathered on the final morning, despite the huge gratitude and enthusiasm they showed for the incredible experience they had benefitted from, there was a definite sense of sadness in the air as our adventure was coming to an end. The only vicinity from which this sentiment was not emanating was that of Mr Harris, whose feelings were a mixture of relief at not losing anyone over the past six days, as well as stress of having to load 53 heavy suitcases onto a large coach parked somewhat perilously in the middle of a Downtown LA street. Happily, check-out was a smooth process and despite this being our last day, there was still plenty to do. Firstly, we travelled to the world-famous Warner Brothers Studios, where countless classic movies and TV shows were and are still made, for a fantastic studio tour and the opportunity explore their various soundstages and extensive backlot property. Here, the selfie competition really came to life, with each of the five groups tasked with creating the most imaginative selfie at any point throughout the tour. I was rather proud of my group’s effort on the Friends sofa in front of the famous fountain, but the overall judge (Tour Guide Tony) sadly ruled that Mr Finn’s group’s effort was superior. Next we travelled to The Grove and Farmers’ Market for the opportunity to do some last-minute shopping, before one final stop for a photo opportunity outside the famous Beverly Hills sign and walk down Rodeo Drive, ahead of our drive to the airport and the long flight that lay ahead.
I have long championed the value of educational trips, believing them to be a key part of a rounded educational experience and bringing vital learning opportunities that simply cannot be offered in the classroom, and if anything, this trip only served to exacerbate my belief. It truly was the most extraordinary experience for all involved, and my most heartfelt thanks go not only to Tony and Michael from Red Line Tours for their wonderful organisation, but also to the accompanying staff on the trip for their relentless support throughout – Mrs Harris, Mrs Markham, Mr Finn and Mr Lissaman. However, my biggest thanks without doubt go to the 48 students who attended, all of whom were an absolute credit to the College throughout. Spending time with students outside the classroom allows staff to see them in a very different light, and what a privilege it was to be in their company for the week. Here’s to many more exciting trips and tours in the future for the Ratcliffe Performing Arts department.
Mr Harris, Director of Music
