St Edmund's Day 10 Mile Saxon Shoreway Walk

Date: Friday 16 November 2007

Sometimes the cheapest and simplest activities are the best. Seizing the rare chance of a whole weekday out of school 38 pupils from Forms 6 to 8 took a coach to Tankerton - accompanied by seven members of staff and Mrs Kroiter's emergency back-up vehicle - and walked ten miles along the Saxon Shoreway Path to Minnis Bay near Birchington. You wouldn't believe this was the embattled coastline lashed by floodtides a fortnight earlier - a glorious, bright winter sun shone low upon the group as it advanced past the beach-huts at Tankerton and Hampton.

At Herne Bay a welcome stop at the seafront café for a drink and chocolate croissants that Mr Hooley declared the best this side of Paris. Then up the steps from the beach at Beltinge to stride the gradual grassy slopes for a magnificent view of Reculver Towers.

A leisurely break for packed lunches in the park before the Form 7 chorister commandos cracked on with a brisk march along the final 4 mile stretch on the causeway to Minnis Bay.

To reward everyone's cheerful efforts there was a Domino's pizza party in the classroom block afterwards, at which suitably festive music gave the new Room E speakers a thorough test-out. Hannah Lukey in Form 6 confided at the end: "I am really glad I came on the walk. It's been really brilliant, and I'm never going to do it ever again!" Till next year anyway!