A Noisy Beginning

Anyway, this situation wasn't without its perks because directly in front of you were Mr Robbo, the trip leader and best History teacher you've ever known and next to him was Mr Benz, an English teacher who was World renowned for bringing the banter although you'd only briefly had him teach your class and that was 3 years ago.

This was the year that kids who thought they were cool decided wearing those hideous sliders with white socks was de-rigeur and you found yourself agreeing with Mr Benz as he ranted about how they looked like the kids worked part-time at an Eastern European car wash. Mr Robbo nearly spat his coffee out- these two were going to be hilarious!

As the coach moved off, Sam played his game- Christ knows what it was about but there was a lot going on and his thumbs moved in a dizzying blur which made you glad you didn't suffer from travel sickness. Many of the kids tried to go back to sleep. It was the last weekend of September and very much still dark outside. Many others laughed and joked - too excited to sleep on this trip they'd waited their whole school lives for. You knew some of the lads had several cans of energy drink stashed in their holdalls - determined to do Friday morn to Sunday night on zero sleep.

You were awake and just happy to sit and chill for a minute. Maybe close your eyes in half an hour or so. Mr Robbo was making an elaborate show of trying to get some shut-eye but Mr Benz was more hyper than the kids and was showing everyone this little notebook he'd brought which had a picture of a badger riding a bicycle on the front. Despite his best efforts, Mr Robbo kept laughing. The picture wasn't funny at all but the way Mr Benz kept pointing out little details and pretending to be amazed was too much.

Perhaps you had to be there.

Even Benz had settled down within that first hour but the peace was shattered when the high-pitched screech of teenage girls singing a medley of songs from Frozen and Moana tore through the coach. It wasn't even 6am yet but the two girls from the year above were enthusiastic if utterly untalented.