At 8 am on Monday 4th July 2005 36 pupils from Year 9 set off for Holland in a coach accompanied by 5 members of staff and the coach driver. Having crossed the North Sea on a Seacat ferry from Harwich to Hook of Holland, we negotiated Rotterdam and arrived at our hotel in the seaside resort of Zandvoort in which we spent 3 nights, returning on Thurday 7th July. Click here to see a map of Zandvoort.

We were fortunate to stay in a 5 star hotel in Zandvoort very near to the racing circuit and just opposite a skid pad and with a view of the beach from most rooms. Wide sandy beaches provided a good opportunity to let off steam each evening and to paddle - some getting rather too wet!!

On Tuesday we vistied Amsterdam where we were able to go around Anne Frank's House and then after a visit to the famous Dam square we visited the Van Gogh museum ( Click here for website) where we also had a bite to eat. In the afternoon we visited the Zaanse Schans working village where we went around one of the many windmills.

On Wednesday we visited Maduradam miniature city which is near The Hague. Then we spent the afternoon having a most enjoyable time in Duinrell theme park with its 'Tikibad Swimming Complex' which is the largest indoor aqua paradise in Europe. Click here to see their website.

On the Thursday we visited the Clara Maria Clog Factory and Cheese Farm where we say Gouda cheeses and wooden clogs being made. We then went up the 200m high Euromast at Rotterdam, where some conquered their fear of heights. Click here to see their website. Then onto our Seacat ferry and back to Saffron Walden by 8.45pm.

Many thanks to Gill Kinnear for organising the trip and to Michelle Gillmore, Caryn Pepper and Martin and Rosemary Hugall for their help in accompanying the trip.

Photos taken by Martin Hugall and Ailidh Ross

Click on the thumbnails to enlarge: