Between 11 - 14 February, the History Department took 44 students to view the Western Front on the annual visit to the battlefields of the First World War.  All the students showing a high level of interest in the sites that were visited and the explanations of the experiences of trench warfare.
Particularly impressive were the visits to the biggest British military cemetery in the world at Tyne Cot and walking the Somme battlefield around the village of Serre.  The frost and slight dusting of snow added to the atmosphere.  At Tyne Cot, we visited the graves of six students' relatives who died during the conflict and as a group paid our respects. This was very emotional for all, but especially for the individual students who found an inscription or the final resting place of their ancestors.
At the Menin Gate, representatives from the School formed the wreath laying party and Rachael Gledhill had the honour of reading the famous words from Lawrence Binyon in front of a crowd of several hundred people.  I am sure that she will remember that evening for the rest of her life. 
Overall, the party found the whole visit a poignant reminder of the suffering and sacrifice that this first industrial war entailed and many were deeply affected by the stories of individuals who were caught up in the conflict.