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During the night of 29th November, all the German students went to Germany to visit the Christmas market in Cologne.
After a long bus journey, we finally arrived in this beautiful city and our first stop was a medieval Christmas market along the river Rhine. After a good look around, we visited the Chocolate museum nearby and had an excellent tour with a little taster of the delicious chocolate that is produced there.
Then we went to our hotel and settled into our rooms, which were very comfortable. In the evening we enjoyed a typical German dinner at a nearby restaurant.
The next morning after a hearty breakfast , we were again taken to the city centre, where we were able to look around the beautiful cathedral with our guide Thomas, who explained about the history and all the very interesting artefacts that are displayed there.
After a lunch break, we visited the Farina perfume museum, which is the oldest perfumery in the world and were introduced to the art of perfume making. It was highly interesting and we all liked the scent of the Eau de Cologne!
Later on in the afternoon, we were able to spend some time shopping on the very busy but lovely Christmas Market.
For supper we went to a typical Cologne restaurant, where again we were able to taste some German dishes like Schnitzel and Bratwurst.
The next day we had a lovely breakfast before setting off again on our long journey home. After 12 hours we arrived back at school, tired but happy.
We had a wonderful time and we thank all the staff to make this trip possible.
Dagmar Oldfield

Dan Cruikshank - 'Adventures in Architecture'
Dan is a leading expert on architecture and historic buildings and a regular presenter on the BBC. He is best known for his popular series Britain's Best Buildings and Around The World in 80 Treasures; and for his appearances in Under Fire and What The Industrial Revolution Did For Us. Dan's latest series, Adventures in Architecture has recently screened on BBC 2.
Pupils from Downe House have walked the 300km (200 miles) from Downe House to Salcombe in Devon to raise awareness and funds for Cancer Research UK's vital research. The girls arrived wet and tired, but triumphant, after a gruelling 16 day march which took them acorss fields, rivers and along the coastal path.
The competition is open to all students in Year 12 and essay titles are set by Corpus Christi. Poppy will be attending the Prize Giving on 3 July.
Annie entered her design for her AS Level Product Design Resistant Materials coursework and has been selected as one of the 20 finalists. She will take her project and portfolio to the Finals, which will be held at Dulwich College in London on 20 June 2008.
Sunday, 10 August 2008
Performances at 11am and 6pm at 'The Dell', the outdoor performance space in the RSC Centenary Gardens, bordered by the river and Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon.
Bring a picnic, all welcome!
2nd - 4th May in the Performing Arts Centre
‘Times' writer Mary Ann Sieghart gives Summer Term Medley Lecture
Newbury's MP, Richard Benyon, visited Downe House on 25th April speak to thePolitics Society about his work in the House of Commons and the constituency.
Congratulations to Emma Powell (U5) who was selected for NYT's highly acclaimed acting course.
On Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th March, Downe House hosted a charity fashion show. The events were organised by Rosie Fortescue, Georgiana Haig and Celia Thursfield, in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust, raising a total of just over £5,500.
Gillian Clarke, renowned poet, who has written poetry and prose for children and adults, visited Downe House on Sunday, 16 March. Her poetry reading began with her first publsihed poem 'The Sundial' and the audience were immediately impressed by her passionate and erudite ideas......
Diane Louise Jordan, businesswoman and one of the most popular presenters of BBC One's Songs of Praise, gave a talk and answered questions about how her faith influences the way she conducts her own business life and on matters relating to business ethics and corporate social responsibility more generally.
If you missed House Drama, or would like to see your daughter's performance again, a professional Double DVD recording by Kingsbridge AV Limited of all five productions will be available to order at a cost of £22.50 each.
Click here to find out how to order
This Trust was established in November 2006 as part of the agreed resolution of the OFT's recent investigation.
The objects of the Trust are to:
There are three criteria for eligibility:
For further details go to <Joining Downe> and click on <Scholarships>