On 24 June a guest speaker, Ruth Hollinger, came in to talk to the Year 8 pupils about Antarctica, coinciding with our Geography work.

She told us about how she had been picked for a special expedition for Antarctica and how she and three other teachers had to fundraise enough to pay for the trip. We were told about the gruelling path to Antarctica, filled with filling forms, raising money, and getting used to being alone. Once they had arrived in Antarctica they trekked to a viable spot to do their scientific research and then studied there. They had to have a sugary and energy-boosting diet in the cold of Antarctica, so their ration involved Haribo, Mars Bars and Cup-a-Soups. This, to us students, may seem like a dream diet, but it lost its surprise if it was eaten each week. The four teachers were not allowed to call their families because there was no way out of Antarctica and if they received bad news, the wind would go out of their sails and they would lose interest and want to go back home.

She told us about how it was always cold and the sleeping bag was the only warm place. It was a very good talk, full of the dangers, the survival, and the research faced by four intrepid explorers. I would happily listen to it all again.

Eliot Raman Jones