School Burns Trip...

Archive Blipped 9th May 2020

Then - My friend Anne and I are 13 years old, in second year at Secondary School and on an "educational" school trip to Ayr to visit the home of our National Bard, the wonderful Robert Burns.   

I can remember the day so clearly (no doubt helped by the fact I have a diary entry from that day) but don't remember much of what I learned about Robert Burns, other than concluding he must have been quite short as the front door to his cottage was very low!     

When I read this entry as an adult, what strikes me is the freedom we had!  

We arrived at Burns Cottage.  After a wander around it,  then a whistle stop tour of the surrounding area, we headed back into Ayr where we piled off the coach at the seafront and our teachers basically told us we had three hours to go and do what we liked, before coming back to the same spot get on the coach and go home.   

We scattered to the winds as fast as we could and I am pretty sure the teachers headed to the nearest pub! 

Anyway, here's my diary entry for the day...

Got up at ½ 6.  Didn’t know whether to go on the Ayr trip or not as my cold is still really bad.  Had a bath and washed my hair and felt a bit better so decided to go.  We didn't have to wear our uniform so wore my jeans, white shirt and blue cardigan.  Met Anne at the bus stop.  School bus was late but we got to school in time.  There were two coaches waiting in the car park.  Miss C lined us up according to our Registration classes so Anne and I were in the same bus.   We were in the first bus which was great as the seats looked comfier than the other bus.  Sat at the back of the bus with L and A, D, B and G.  G ate his packed lunch before we were even out of the school car park!  Anne's mum had given her a quarter of cola cubes so we shared them.  We sang songs.  They boys got into trouble from Miss C for singing the rude versions!    

Journey took longer than I thought it would.  Ayr is always further away than I think it is.  Got to Alloway  just after 10am.  The weather was good.  Burns Cottage was lovely.  We lost Anne but soon found her.  Went to see the Burns Monument then had our packed lunches sitting on the Brig 'O Doon.  G kept running over the bridge shouting "Giddy up Meg!!!"  It was really funny.  

After lunch we went into Ayr.  The Fairground rides were closed but there was a stall selling candy floss, sugar dummies and ice cream.  Anne and I bought a sugar dummy each.  There was a photo booth so we had our photos taken.  It was hilarious as there was no seat in the booth so we just had to crouch!  Got photos taken twice.  One lot for Anne and one lot for me.  When we were getting the second lot of photos taken, J and G jumped into the booth and tried to shove us out.  Anne accidentally dropped her sugar dummy and dived down to get it from the floor of the booth shouting "God kissed it, Jesus licked it and the devil missed it" so she could pick it up, wipe it and keep eating it.  I managed to stay in the photo!  Hahahahaha!  

We all went to the Beach.  Jumped off the seafront wall onto the sand.  It was only as I jumped I realised the wall was much higher than I thought it was and landed face first in the sand!  Took our trainers and socks off and went for a paddle in the water.  It wasn't too cold.   The boys waded in further and got their jeans soaked.  

Got back to the coach just before 3pm.  R found slimy seaweed on the beach and hid it inside A's trainers while he was paddling.  He put them back on and didn't notice till we were almost back at school! 

Got home.  Had dinner then went to Agnes's.  Watched TV and told her about today.  Showed her the photos.  Stayed the night at her house.