Year 10 Trip to London to Visit the Natural History Museum and Watch Wicked

At the beginning of the 2022 Autumn term, the Year 10 class went on a trip to the heart of London. Accompanied by Mr Turnbull-Jones and Mrs Jones (two of Landmark’s senior Science teachers) the morning of our trip took place at the famous Natural History Museum. Following this, we walked through London’s bustling streets, and made our way to the theatre, along with our music teacher Mrs Wilson. There, we watched the incredible musical Wicked. 

To get from Cambridge to London, we took the train, as this was one of the fastest means of transport, and used the Underground to travel within the city. For lunch, we stopped at Wellington monument, a sizeable patch of grass located within a series of busy roads. Whilst eating our food, we were able to observe the large stone arch located at the centre of the park, accompanied by various other monuments, many of them impressive statues and memorials. During the evening, we took another train to return to Cambridge Station, from where the students were picked up.

This trip benefited our learning, as the places we visited were linked to courses that many of us are studying. When we were inside the Natural History Museum, despite the Darwin Centre being closed, we were able to extend our knowledge on the subject of classification and the theory of evolution, writing our findings onto a handout that each of us was given. For those taking music GCSE, the production Wicked gave a chance to see how the change in music affected the mood and atmosphere of the play, and how the music was written to correspond with the different scenes. The musical also reflected on racism and bullying, showing that deeper within the original story of The Wizard Of Oz, things aren’t quite as they seem.

In addition, many of us enjoyed being able to see London itself. Not only were the streets often lined with expensive cars, but it was also an interesting experience to use the vast, crowded, underground network of trains. Also, the intricate design of the colossal Natural History Museum building was mesmerising to look at, let alone the beautiful 1930s architecture of the theatre, and its grand stage set before countless rows of seats. The interior of the entire building was illuminated by green lights to suit the theme of the play being performed.

Of course, we also had the opportunity to take a photograph with Dippy, the well known diplodocus, who now lives in a large room in one of the museum’s exhibitions. Dippy, with his wonderful charm, clearly made the day for most of us.

Overall, the trip was delightful, we enjoyed and learnt many things, and would definitely like to have one like this again.

By Kai and Maisie, Year 10