Friday 17 June 2022 Isle of Wight 2022: Day 5 Read all about Year 6's last day on the Isle of Wight.
Thursday 16 June 2022 Isle of Wight 2022: Day 4 Sidmond Gus and Year 6 had a wonderful day at Robin Hill.
Wednesday 15 June 2022 Isle of Wight 2022: Day 3 What have Sidmond Gus and Year 6 done today Read on to find out!
Tuesday 14 June 2022 Isle of Wight 2022: Day 2 Sidmond Gus has had another wonderful day on the Isle of Wight.
Monday 13 June 2022 Isle of Wight 2022: Day 1 Sidmond Gus has accompanied Year 6 to the Isle of Wight. Here is his diary: Day 1.

Isle of Wight 2022: Day 3

Dear family and friends of Year 6,

What a special day today- gorgeous sunshine and a birthday for two wonderful young ladies!

After a late night laser-tagging, The children seemed a little drowsy this morning. A lovely breakfast of toast, cereal, orange juice and eggs soon revived my new friends however, and for the first time this week we boarded the coach ahead of schedule.

The activity groups have been split many different ways this week, meaning that we can all get to know each other in a relaxed and cheerful way. Today, it was my turn to accompany Mrs Curzon’s group, who teamed up with Miss Kane’s and Mrs Lawrence’s. What a delightful bunch! They gave me a nickname (Siddy G) and a makeover with a scrunchie, even though a few children were still disappointed that I wasn’t named Nostril (an unusual choice that lost the vote on Monday).

As we approached Osborne House, we thought about how different the scenery here is to Greenford- with cows roaming the grassy hills and tractors just starting their work. Once we arrived at Queen Victoria’s holiday home, we marvelled at its grand scale and view of the sea in the near distance- no wonder the Queen and her beloved Prince Albert dug out a section of this island to create the perfect spot. Then, we split up into groups with one group touring the house and another experiencing life as a servant, before swapping; not just any servant however- the best of the best, the servants of Queen Victoria‘s household. Just like me, my friends got new names – the actual names of the servants at Osborne House during the Victorian era. They learned to make fire twists, polish silver, make the housekeeper’s bed, lay a table for a banquet and prepare small quantities of the luxuries sugar, tea and coffee – treats only for the rich. All the skills were taught by the formidable Miss Smith, a strict and hard-to-please housekeeper who must always be addressed ‘Please Miss Smith’. Some pupils got so into this role that they asked for tomorrow’s sandwich filling by saying, ‘Please Mr Davis, egg mayo, Mr Davis’. Parents and carers, all I can say is be prepared for super-helpful children around the home from now on, as they have been trained to serve royalty!

The glorious weather made our afternoon swimming experience especially wonderful, with an open air pool and a lovely grassy area for giant chess, volleyball or just relaxing under the shade of the trees. It was bliss.

On returning to the hotel, the children had another chance to spend some of their pocket money at the famous Shanklin rock shop. This involved a lot of careful budgeting, and decisions being made about which member of the family deserved fudge.

After a roast dinner and pudding, my friends and I enjoyed a crazy golf experience at Shanklin seafront. What a brilliant day: friendships were strengthened and memories made.

Until tomorrow,

Sidmond Gus