Choir Trip to England, Summer 2009

Provisional Itinerary

Wednesday 19th August

· Belfast International, depart 2.50pm (Easyjet flight 166).
Please make your own way to airport.
· Arrive London Luton 4pm
· Coach to All Saints Pastoral Centre (SPEC), London Colney. (see details below)
· Arrive c. 5pm
· Settling in time / unpacking
· Talk 6pm – rules and expectations
· Dinner at SPEC 6.30pm
· Organised games for choristers


Thursday 20th August

· Breakfast at SPEC 8.30am
· Depart from SPEC for St Albans in coach 10am
· Arrive St Albans 10.30am
· Free time in St Albans. Picnic lunch (provided)
· Rehearse in St Albans song school 2-3.30pm
· Rehearse in church 3.45pm
· Break for changing/robing 4.30pm – refreshments provided
· Evensong 5pm
· Depart St Albans 6pm, arrive SPEC 6.30pm
· Dinner at SPEC 6.30pm
· Organised games for choristers


Friday 21st August

· Breakfast at SPEC 8.30am
· Free time in morning at SPEC: activities to be organized (tbc) – e.g. walks, mountain biking, football
· Lunch at SPEC 12.30pm
· Rehearsal in SPEC chapel 2.30-4pm
· 4pm break – refreshments provided
· Service in SPEC chapel 5pm, lead by Colin Young
· Dinner at SPEC 6.30pm
· Organised games for choristers

Saturday 22nd August – FREE DAY

· Breakfast at SPEC 8.30am
· Choristers trip to Legoland (and anyone else who wants to go)
· Gents can make own plans (you’re welcome to come to Legoland!)
· Dinner at SPEC 6.30pm for choristers and anyone else who wants it


Sunday 23rd August

· Bags to be packed before breakfast
· Breakfast at SPEC, 8am (choir uniform to be worn, there won’t be time to change later)
· Depart SPEC in coach for Windsor 8.45am
· Arrive Windsor 9.30am
· Rehearse in “dungeon” at Windsor Castle 9.30am
· Matins (men only) 10.45am. Choristers to be entertained in dungeon – bring books/computer games
· Eucharist (men and boys) 11.45am
· Lunch in restaurant (this will be paid for by the vestry for all singers)
· Afternoon rehearsal 3.30pm
· Break 4.45pm – refreshments provided
· Evensong 5.15pm
· Depart in coach for airport (London Luton) 6.30pm
· Dinner at airport (choristers paid for – gents please make own arrangements)
· Depart 9.30pm (Easyjet flight 173). Arrive 10.45pm

NOTES:
1. All meals / snacks / legoland entry are paid for for the choristers: other than pocket money the boys do not need to bring any money with them.
2. Robes and music will be transported for us by one of the chorister’s parents who is taking a car over.
3. Gents: you can opt out of any meals at SPEC if you want (e.g. on Saturday if you spend the day on London you might want to opt out of evening meal). But I will need to know your plans in advance.
4. Gents: London Colney is a short taxi drive from St Albans (which has the highest density of pubs in England) for evening entertainment possibilities…
5. Gents: there is a good train service from St Albans into London.

ACCOMMODATION – ALL SAINTS PASTORAL CENTRE

All Saints Pastoral centre, Tel: 01727 828888
Shenley Lane, Website: www.spec.org.uk
London Colney,
St Albans,
Hertfordshire, AL2 1AG


SPEC began in 1993. The name developed from the Latin 'Speculum Vitae' which translates to 'Mirror to Life'. SPEC is also an acronym for Spiritual, Personal/Peer, Educational, Community. It is a residential centre that works with young people, either in organized programmes run by the centre or by providing accommodation for groups with self-led programmes.

The accommodation
The accommodation is mainly in bunk beds in shared rooms. Bedding is provided.
Guests need to bring their own towels and toiletries.

Rooms available are as follows:
Sleeping 8 people: 1 room
Sleeping 6 people: 1 room
Sleeping 4 people: 4 rooms
Sleeping 3 people: 1 room
Sleeping 2 people: 8 rooms
Sleeping 1 person: 1 room

Insurance

SPEC has public liability insurance for events and activities run by their teams on site, e.g. archery / assault course etc. Please arrange your own travel insurance.

Meals
Three meals are provided daily (although we won’t necessarily be in for all three).

Breakfast 8.30am Cereal, toast
Lunch 12.30pm Baked potatoes, pizza, salad, baguettes
Fruit, yoghurt
Dinner 6.30pm Hot meal, usually choice of main courses, incl. vegetarian option

Tea, coffee, squash and biscuits are available at break times
There are vending machines on site.


Other Facilities
Basketball
Assault course
Archery range
Football pitch
40 acres of land including Woodland – mountain bikes available for hire
Games room


People coming on choir tour 2009

Boys Probationers
Joshua Booth Jonah Davey (own travel arrangements)
Rowan Brown Jude Herdman
Ewan Docherty Saul Herdman
Michael Forrester Jake Lowry (own travel arrangements)
Michael Hong Oliver Rhodes
Michael Shorten
Jacob Somerville

Parents
Stephanie Alexander
Claire Booth (“official” adult with chorister supervision responsibilities)
Jacqueline Brown
Jill Docherty (“official” adult)
Ruth Forrester (Robes mistress)
William Forrester
Jun Hong
Weiru Hong
Adrienne Shorten
Caroline Somerville

Back row under-18s
Tor Alexander (bass)
Alan Burns (tenor)
Matthew Jeffrey (tenor)
Callum Maxwell (tenor)

Men
David McElderry (alto)
Geoff Higgins (tenor)
Brian Hunter (bass)
Steven Irwin (bass)
Mark McGuire (tenor)
Ed McMullan (alto)
Jonny Roberts (bass)

Staff Other
Richard Campbell Geraldine Black
Emma Gibbins Agnes Cairns
Colin Young Raymond Cairns