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St. Louis Marvel at City Thriller
The recent annual trip from St. Louis Grammar School to Manchester is always a much sought after event. With over 60 applications for 47 places this school trip has become a permanent fixture in the school calendar. Led by Mr Steven McVeigh and Mrs Catherine Lynch, the party of 47 students and 5 teachers set out early for their journey to Manchester where the highlight of their trip would bi the top four encounter between Manchester City and Arsenal in the Premier League.
Organised through Ulsterbus Tours, the St. Louis party travelled from Dublin to Holyhead by ferry, across North Wales to Cheshire Oaks Retail Park. After the students had ‘shopped until the dropped’, it was on to the wonder Chalon Court Hotel in St. Helens, the St. Louis base for the next two nights.
Due to a rescheduled later kick off, the St. Louis party had arranged another stop off, this time at Manchester’s Trafford Centre retail park. The students arrived Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium early in the afternoon to enjoy the build-up of atmosphere for the big game. The Manchester trip has been part of the school calendar for near twenty years and during this time students have experienced some incredible moments, e.g. Wayne Rooney’s amazing overhead volley into the Manchester City goal at Old Trafford in 2011, but this City v Arsenal game served up four goals as these two premiership giants battled it out a 2-2 thriller.
After the game the St. Louis party once again returned to the Trafford centre, this time a highly competitive series of ten–pin bowling was played amidst the screams of joy as some got strikes whilst some missed their lanes entirely. Finally back at the hotel, the big game was relived as all eyes were glued to the televisions for the highlights on ‘Match of the Day 2’.
Taking students to City v Arsenal may have left the Man Utd fans feeling a bit down, but St. Louis had that aspect covered as well as the final day of the trip commenced with a guided tour of Manchester United ground- Old Trafford. The highlights of this tour were surely the changing rooms and the substitute area. The students then visited the Manchester United museum and of course the club shop.
With fantastic weather adding to the enjoyment of the trip there were still a few tired heads to be seen on the smooth crossing back from Holyhead to Dublin. However, as the students who have gone before on this trip over the years could testify, the memories of this wonderful trip will live on for a very long time.
Organised through Ulsterbus Tours, the St. Louis party travelled from Dublin to Holyhead by ferry, across North Wales to Cheshire Oaks Retail Park. After the students had ‘shopped until the dropped’, it was on to the wonder Chalon Court Hotel in St. Helens, the St. Louis base for the next two nights.
Due to a rescheduled later kick off, the St. Louis party had arranged another stop off, this time at Manchester’s Trafford Centre retail park. The students arrived Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium early in the afternoon to enjoy the build-up of atmosphere for the big game. The Manchester trip has been part of the school calendar for near twenty years and during this time students have experienced some incredible moments, e.g. Wayne Rooney’s amazing overhead volley into the Manchester City goal at Old Trafford in 2011, but this City v Arsenal game served up four goals as these two premiership giants battled it out a 2-2 thriller.
After the game the St. Louis party once again returned to the Trafford centre, this time a highly competitive series of ten–pin bowling was played amidst the screams of joy as some got strikes whilst some missed their lanes entirely. Finally back at the hotel, the big game was relived as all eyes were glued to the televisions for the highlights on ‘Match of the Day 2’.
Taking students to City v Arsenal may have left the Man Utd fans feeling a bit down, but St. Louis had that aspect covered as well as the final day of the trip commenced with a guided tour of Manchester United ground- Old Trafford. The highlights of this tour were surely the changing rooms and the substitute area. The students then visited the Manchester United museum and of course the club shop.
With fantastic weather adding to the enjoyment of the trip there were still a few tired heads to be seen on the smooth crossing back from Holyhead to Dublin. However, as the students who have gone before on this trip over the years could testify, the memories of this wonderful trip will live on for a very long time.
Gallery
Written by:
Mr McVeigh
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