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“The Château Blogs 2011”

Year 7s annual trip to the Château de la Baudonnière


Dimanche, le 4 septembre

8 am., Ipswich Road...the Year 7 pupils and their parents are beginning to arrive. A large white coach sporting the Château de la Baudonnière decal is already parked near the gates; parents somehow find this very reassuring.  We are about to set off on the School's fourteenth annual trip to the Château, a tradition begun in 1998.  For those who may not know, the Château is a beautiful country estate of some 100 acres, located in southern Normandy near to the town of Avranches.  Over the past twenty years it has undergone constant development as a dedicated language and activity centre geared specifically to the needs of UK school groups.

Our party this year comprises thirty-one children and four staff. The experienced team of Mr. Hewitt, Mr. Walker and Mrs. Jolliffe is together for the seventh time, and is joined by Miss Skelton, who is enjoying a baptism of fire in her first week at Town Close!

The journey to Portsmouth is uneventful despite being a little tedious as we have to traverse London to pick up another school party!

The "Normandie Express" fast ferry is a new experience for us. Despite being limited in terms of onboard facilities, this is a very impressive machine that whisks us to Cherbourg in under three hours, meaning that we arrive at the Château at a civilised hour, and are able to enjoy a buffet supper before retiring to our accommodation.  This year we are in the "Maison du Verger" (Orchard House), which is one of our favourite houses. Of course, Sunday evening at the Château has to involve a little rain, but fortunately it's only the odd light shower.

Lundi, le 5 septembre

We are still a little tired after yesterday's journey, so breakfast is a quiet affair, though everyone is reinvigorated by the classic combination of croissants, tartines and chocolat chaud. After breakfast the group departs for a tour of the Château's extensive grounds followed by a sports tournament on the all-weather area. This session is very important, as it helps to establish in the children's minds the fact that French is the normal means of communication at the Château. Steak haché is on the menu for lunch, along with the daily cheeseboard and fruit bowl. This afternoon the first activities take place; for many children this is the moment when the Château experience begins in earnest. During the week they will try their hand at archery, aéroballe, bread making, orienteering, climbing, assault course, fencing and French lessons. The point of having all the instruction in French becomes apparent when you're half way up a climbing wall and need to distinguish your "pied gauche" from your "main droite"!

Another important activity is the daily diary session. The children will be perfecting their French diaries and producing projects based on them when they return to school, so learning to use a writing guide to produce these drafts is a key skill. There's delicious chicken and chips for dinner, and everyone is tired out by a series of wide games played on the grass in front of the Château. Evening activities at the Château finish at 9.00, then everyone returns to their dorms to shower and get ready for lights out at 10.00.

Arrangements in the Maison du Verger mean that the boys occupy the ground floor and the girls are on the first floor. There is a nice seating area on the landing where the staff can update House cards and make sure everyone is quiet.

Mardi, le 6 septembre

We were very fortunate with the weather yesterday, but today is rather grey and showery. This morning's activities involve French lessons, archery, orienteering and bread making. This is one of the most popular activities, and the children have great fun singing and chanting while kneading their dough, and then seeing who can create the most imaginative shapes.

For lunch we have Hachis Parmentier, a French take on cottage pie, after which Gérard, the estate manager, tells how cider is made. The Château has huge orchards and, after the season ends in November, everyone is busy converting the year's harvest into 3000 litres of cider. A small taste of the end product is appreciated by the majority.

This afternoon we have assault courses for two groups and climbing for the third group. The assault course is a perennially popular activity, and photographs of children (and the brave Miss Skelton) covered from head to toe in mud illustrate just why we recommend old clothes that can be thrown away! It is always a pleasure for the staff to see how quickly the animateurs' constant use of French rubs off on the children in terms of understanding and willingness to participate.

After a very positive and productive diary session we enjoy meatballs with pasta for dinner followed by chocolate doughnuts. As the weather is wet we are unable to have the camp fire this evening, and the resourceful animateurs come up with some challenging indoor games that encourage problem solving and team-work, followed by a "Balloon volleyball" tournament to round off the evening.


Mercredi, le 7 septembre

Alas, it is still grey and drizzly this morning, though Gérard seems to think the weather will improve later. This morning's activities are climbing, archery and French lessons. There are two French sessions during the week, and the first one focuses on personal details followed by a shopping practice that will prove useful when we visit the market tomorrow. Archery, of course, combines a highly competitive activity with useful practice on number work. Lunch today features cervelas, a sausage-based dish from eastern France. For meals the children remain at the same table, whilst the staff rotate daily.

It appears that Gerard was right. The weather has improved this afternoon, and we are hopeful for the day trip tomorrow. After lunch the children are able to visit the small-animal farm to feed and pet the inmates (rabbits, guinea pigs, chicks and even a ferret). This afternoon two groups are fencing and the third is making bread.  We have turkey in a prune sauce for dinner, followed by tarte au chocolat, and an evening activity called “photo-mystère”, which takes place around the Château grounds.

Jeudi, le 8 septembre

Everyone is in high spirits this morning, for we are off on our excursion.  As most of the activities take place in the Château grounds we only have one day out during the week.  The weather is quite damp as we head for the market in Dinan.  The teachers spent part of yesterday evening teaching the children to haggle (“marchander”) so there are many good bargains to be had!  Sweets and crepes of course, and a number of the boys have bought gaudy watches and bongo drums!  Thanks to the improving weather we are able to enjoy our picnic lunch in a beautiful cliff-top park overlooking the river. 

Back on the coach the children learn all about the Mont Saint Michel, with the help of a booklet, and are primed to look at the different architectural styles and the features of Benedictine life.  The abbey looks wonderful whatever the weather, and the children make the most of the opportunity to discover one of the glories of the Middle Ages.  Finally a short visit to the supermarket provides an opportunity to stock up on chocolate!   Miss Skelton has been taking fines for speaking English at mealtimes all week, and goes off to buy goodies for the return journey.

Back at the Château, we don our stripy tops and berets and turn ourselves into extras for a Jacques Tati film or an episode of “Allo, Allo”...everyone looks amazing!  Escargots draw the usual mixed reaction (you either love them or hate them).  A delicious dinner of roast pork and apple tart is followed by a fun team quiz in French.

Vendredi, le 9 septembre

It’s hard to believe that this is already our last day at the Château, and that the final activities are taking place...orienteering, French lessons, fencing, circus skills, aéroballe and bread making.  There’s a splendidly filling lasagne for lunch today.  After lunch we have yet another difficult “little job” feeding and petting the small animals at the Château farm.

It’s a fine evening, and we are treated to a barbecue supper of pork steaks, sausages, salads and ice cream.

The talent show takes place this evening, and we appear to have a considerable quantity of comedy and magic tricks this year!   After a brief farewell disco with our friends from Northcote Lodge, it’s time for bed, for tomorrow is a long day.


Samedi, le 10 septembre

We are always sad to leave the Château, but it’s difficult to feel too strongly about it at 5 am.  The return crossing aboard the Mont Saint Michel is reasonably calm.  A few intrepid souls (including the staff) feel that only a full English breakfast will do!  There’s shopping (of course), movies and a tasty lunch in the ship’s restaurant.  After a very smooth coach journey we arrive back at Town Close at 7.00, parents are waiting and suddenly it’s all over...time to return to reality!

We have been quite fortunate with the weather this week, and we all feel that moving the trip from November to September has been beneficial.  The children have proved to be a splendid group to travel with, and their behaviour has been a credit to the School.  Not only that, but they have made terrific progress with speaking French and understanding the spoken language, and everyone’s confidence has improved hugely.  Well done, everyone!

Mr. S. Hewitt