On Wednesday 8th March, as the snow fell upon South Norwood, fifteen pupils set off for the savannahs, as a reward for their great attendance at school.
Braving an eighteen-minute wait at the Arena tram stop was the first task of our Arctic expedition to Africa. Led by Miss Matsouka and Mr Bayliss, and armed with topped-up Oyster cards, we eventually arrived at Charing Cross, before a wet and blustery walk to the Lyceum Theatre.
Before our hands and feet could defrost, we were transported to the scintillating scenery of Pride Rock. After Miss Matsouka led pupils on a half-time refuelling trip to Tesco’s, Scar was swiftly defeated by the rejuvenated Simba. All was well again in Africa.
Unfortunately for us in the audience, this meant a return to the Arctic. Giraffes, lions, and hyenas were a distant memory as we once again found ourselves waiting almost twenty minutes for the tram. This stretched our capacity to keep in mind Timon and Pumba’s ever-wise words: ‘Hakuna Matata’.
Weather and TfL aside, this was a fantastic occasion brilliantly organised by Miss Dodd, and a deserved reward for our pupils with the best attendance.