On Friday 4th April, our Year 5 explorers swapped the classroom for the capital and set off on a very important mission – to see the sights, spot a royal (or two), and unravel the mysteries of Parliament (spoiler: we might have some budding politicians in the making).

After a very early start, our adventurers boarded the train from Durham to London – a little bit excited, a little bit anxious, and a lot tired. But once the snacks came out, the card games got going, and someone cracked open a pack of Uno, the three-hour journey whizzed by in a flash. Who knew a train carriage could hold that much laughter before 7am?

Once we arrived in the capital, it was straight into action…

First stop: Buckingham Palace – where few were entirely convinced they saw King Charles himself (or possibly a very regal pigeon – it’s hard to tell). From there, we strolled through St James’ Park, making friends with some particularly nosy geese and a squirrel who clearly thought we had snacks.

Lunchtime was al fresco in the beautiful Victoria Tower Gardens, where sandwiches were munched and mysterious flying objects were spotted. Birds? Scarves? The jury’s still out. A huge thank you to Liz Twist MP for sponsoring our lunches – we were all royally grateful!

Then it was time for the main event: a tour and workshop inside Parliament. The children were fascinated by how laws are made, and let’s just say… they’ll never play table tennis the same way again (House of Lords, House of Commons… ping pong politics is real).

We had the chance to meet Elizabeth, a brilliant staffer for Liz Twist MP, who told us all about her role and her favourite parts of working with an MP – turns out it’s not just about tea and debates!

Before heading home, we made a pit stop outside 10 Downing Street, where some children are certain the Prime Minister gave us a cheeky wave. (Again, possibly a curtain twitch… or a ghost of Prime Ministers past.)

To finish off our unforgettable day, we refuelled with pizza – because if you’re not ending a school trip with stringy cheese and pepperoni, did it even happen?

It was a brilliant day packed with laughs, learning, and loads of London landmarks. Huge thanks to all the staff, guides, and helpers who made the day so special – Year 5 came, saw, and conquered the capital!

And finally… the train journey home.

Teachers (somewhat naively) predicted a quiet journey – perhaps even a nap or two. How wrong we were. Turns out, even after 13,000 steps and a full day of sightseeing, the children still had plenty of energy. Card games were learnt, cartoons drawn, and one or two may have tried to reenact the ping pong law-making process in some competitive rounds of Uno. Sorry to the other passengers – we promise they’re usually this loud.

By the time we arrived back in Durham, we were all so tired we started asking ourselves… was it reality? Or just a mirage? But luckily, we’ve got the memories- and hundreds of photos- to prove that yes, we really were there. And yes, it really was that amazing.

London, you were brilliant – and Year 5, you were even better!