United Kingdom
St Albans

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    • Day 247

      Breaking Down

      April 29, 2018 in England ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

      So unkonkret mit der Platzierung eines Footrpints war ich auch noch nie. Das liegt daran, dass ich nur weiß, dass ich drei Stunden heute in der Nähe von Saint Albans verbracht habe, wo genau, weiß ich nicht...
      Mein Tag hat Sonntagtypisch angefangen. Na ja, jedenfalls war es normal, dass ich für die Kirche aufgestanden bin. Dann Tomkes Koffer zu packen war vielleicht nicht ganz normal... Nachdem ich fertig war, haben wir uns fertig gemacht und uns nach einer Tasse Tee auf den Weg zur Kirche gemacht. Der Gottesdienst war sehr schön, mit echt tollen Liedern, die wir fast annähernd kannten. Nach dem Gottesdienst haben wir mit einigen netten Menschen geredet und Tee getrunken und ein bisschen Kuchen gegessen.
      Bald haben wir uns dann auch wieder auf den Weg nach Hause gemacht, weil unser eigentlicher Plan für heute war, nach Cambridge zu fahren. Es war dann auch nicht mal mein idiotisches Runterfallen von der Treppe, das uns an dem Vorhaben gehindert hat. Ich weiß übrigens immer noch nicht, was da passiert ist. Da auch eigentlich nichts weh tut, weiß ich nicht, ob Tomke mir das nur einreden will, dass ich gefallen bin. Zugegebenermaßen saß ich aber irgendwann plötzlich auf dem Boden... Es bleibt wohl ein Rätsel.
      Also, der Grund, weshalb wir doch nicht nach Cambridge gefahren sind war Toto. In letzter Zeit hat sie beim beschleunigen immer mal wieder so gehustet. Heute war das besonders schlimm und irgendwann ist sie auch kurz zusammengebrochen, weshalb wir dann zur ersten Tankstelle gefahren sind um da mal zu gucken, was wir machen können. Wir konnten dann nichts machen, hat sich rausgestellt. Der nette Mensch von der Tankstelle auch nicht, aber die Menschen von der Versicherung konnten helfen! Nachdem es erst vorsichtig hieß, dass innerhalb von zwei Stunden jemand kommen würde, wurde uns nach nicht einmal zehn Minuten schon geholfen. Weil aber mehrere Teile, die gar nicht zur Hand waren, ausgetauscht werden mussten, hat das ganze Reparieren dann gute drei Stunden gedauert, also ab Rausfinden bis zum wieder Weiterfahren. Bei der Tankstelle gab es aber unser Karamell Getränk der Wahl, weshalb wir die Wartezeit und die Kälte quasi aushalten konnten. Der Mensch von der Versicherung war unglaublich nett und hilfreich. Ein Glück, dass er gekommen ist!
      Irgendwelche Pläne von Ausflügen haben wir dann schlauerweise vernachlässigt und sind direkt nach Stansted gefahren, wo wir wieder ein warmes Getränk hatten und über unsere Woche geredet haben. Wir sind uns absolut einig, dass wir eine geniale Zeit hatten! Und das bei nur fünf vollen Tagen in Oxford, London, Brighton und in der englischen Countryside. Schon echt heftig.
      Jetzt muss ich dringend schlafen. Nur weil ich kaputt bin, fängt morgen ja trotzdem eine neue Woche an, also gute Nacht und bis bald!
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    • Day 4

      St Albans

      December 17, 2016 in England ⋅ 🌫 6 °C

      Museum full of Roman artifacts including complete mosaics and wall plaster in sections.

      Extensively excavated amphitheater.

      Tiled floor with underfloor heating in situ.

      One of the oldest cathedrals in Britain doing carol services all dayRead more

    • Day 35

      Student Blog - Ellie Holmes

      July 27, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

      Personally, this is going to be such a great year to remember!
      Starting right at the beginning of September with meeting new county friends in CYO, CYCB and the County Clarinet Choir! NMPAT is so important for everyone to be a part of!
      The number of Tuesday night meltdowns I have had, with Mr K there giving his expert counselling advice (he could easily be a psychiatrist), I can’t count on two hands! But I think I can safely say I, and many others can’t thank NMPAT and its unbelievably supportive staff enough for providing us with a well needed, and enjoyable escape from all the stressful things that worry us!

      I’m sure all of the students can also not thank NMPAT enough for all the opportunities they provide us with! Not forgetting NENE! (pronounced ‘nen’ - like pen). Performing alongside the rest of the orchestra, CYCh and various other school choirs in the ROYAL ALBERT HALL and Peterborough Cathedral is a memory many of us will never forget!
      Other opportunities I have been provided with this year include being conducted by a world renowned conductor Antonio Pappano, playing in the MFY festival for all 3 three groups, and getting through to the Birmingham stage ONCE AGAIN with the county clarinet choir! And for ALMOST playing in Manchester with CYCB and Big Band (is it still too soon?) which was a great experience!! can you believe no one played any wrong notes?! but then again we didn’t play any notes at all...

      Finishing the year off with an unforgettable tour just sums up what NMPAT can do for you (and to you!) (at least the coaches turned up this time!!) I am SO looking forward to making my Czech Republic and Slovakia section of my scrap book when I get home! (in about 6 weeks time at this rate! not 1 o’clock - sorry mum! :/ )This tour has also excited me for next year's tour to Poland with CYCB (assuming I am still good enough to be there!)

      A massive THANK YOU goes out to ALL the NMPAT staff who came on tour with us! (Mr Kirkwood, Mr Roper, Mr Green (even if it was for one day!) Beth, Mr Hiscock, Mrs Malitskie, Mr Spinner, Miss Allen, Mr Taylor, Miss Mcrimmon, Mr Draper, Mr Butler, and even Mr Smalley (who joined us for the last couple of days!) and all the other staff that helped with any preparation of the tour. Also my parents and teachers for being my taxi drivers for the year! (however I can relieve you from your duties now! 🚗💨 *beep beep*).

      Thanks NMPAT for a great musical year!!
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      Traveler

      🎼 What an incredible year you have experienced. You have made so many special memories and friends - and sounds like plans to make more I better get saving. 😉

      7/27/18Reply
       
    • Day 35

      Student Blog - Rachel & Michael

      July 27, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

      Not going to lie but we really struggled to put into words everything we could possibly want to say about teachers, friends and experiences as there is just so much to be thankful for but such little time to express our gratitude. But we’ll try for you...

      Between the two of us we’ve had the pleasure of being part of the NMPAT orchestral family for 15 years and another 6 years of music centres prior to that (shout out to Welly centre)!

      This past week has been a perfect end to a phenomenal lifetime spent in the NMPAT community but obviously it wouldn’t be a tour without a few stories worth sharing.

      Rachel - It began by being labelled as ‘the one that spread her cold through the bus’ and ended with Mrs Malitskie, Mr Spinner and Hannah Allen walking a 40 minute round trip back to my hotel room after I’d thrown away my contact lenses before a concert and didn’t have my glasses with me (thanks Courtney for lending me your glasses for the first half) This definitely shows that we do not deserve the kind staff that we are blessed with. Just one highlight of the tour for me was playing with my quartet outside the Archbishop’s Palace - our first concert venue, because it further validated that chamber music is the way forward for me.

      Going from the youngest member of the orchestra on my first tour in 2014 to the oldest member this time means I had a completely different experience, despite most of the staff being on both! The tiny, reserved violinist I was then might have shown a smile at Kirkwood or Roper but the musician that they have helped make me today cracks jokes and throws shade like there’s no tomorrow, which I think shows some kind of growth in confidence (?) and for that I cannot thank them both enough. I could never begin to show my gratitude towards everyone individually because it would take so long, so please, all NMPAT staff, include yourselves in this - you have made me who I am today, and at the age of 19 this is who I will be for at least the start of my adult life. I am proud of who I have become thanks to you, and I wish for everyone making their way through the county system to feel the same pride to be a part of the best family around.

      Michael - After an incredible first concert, I had a minor wardrobe malfunction for the second. I accidentally left my concert gear in my hotel room. I noticed 45 mins before the concert and I broke down... but miss Kelly calmed a panicked Michael and told me she’d sort it. After a coach driver looked and Sonia walked to the bus and thoroughly searched she quickly gave me her tour top (as it was tour top concert day) and we searched for some black trousers. *here enters Amy Dolphin* ‘You can wear my culottes if you want’. DAMN I looked good and they were so comfy but the very short length of the trouser was concerning so I ended up with Josh’s trousers he’d worn that day (thx bby). So thanks for everyone for saving my bacon.

      I have one particular moment that made this tour for me. We’d taken an hour boat to Devin Castle and had some time to wander and explore. We’d found a small set of stairs that lead down to the riverbank and I just sat. The quiet was a beautiful contrast to the exciting but loud previous few days and I really needed that time to think. I sat there looking back at everything I have achieved over the past 10 years and how the nurturing and loving nature of all the NMPAT staff have made me proud to be a musician and I feel that I’ve blossomed into a proud and confident person who is comfortable and accepting of myself, where as a few years ago this was not the case. As Beth has always said, being happy all the time is harmful so being sad makes the happy times better and this message has stuck with me. As Rachel said, this has set me up to go into a new chapter of my life full of pride and maturity that could only have been created through the devoted family NMPAT create.

      From the both of us we’d just like to say...
      NMPAT doesn’t stop when you leave, it’s not a hobby that you just drop after A levels and it’s definitely not something that you’ll just forget about. It’s a community, a safe place and the biggest family you could imagine. You are encouraged to thrive and grow into the best version of yourself and for that we eternally thank each and every member of both staff and students.

      Peace out ✌

      Rach n Michael
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      Traveler

      Beautiful words you two, well done, proud mummy XX♥️ XX

      7/27/18Reply
      Traveler

      Moved me tears, both of you. Very proud dad. Xx

      7/27/18Reply

      Couldn’t be more proud of my two wonderful students. I am so pleased to have been a part of your musical journey at NMPAT and can’t wait to see what your future holds. Mrs P x

      7/27/18Reply
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    You might also know this place by the following names:

    St Albans, سانت ألبانز, Горад Сент-Олбанс, Сейнт Олбанс, Saint Albans, سنت آلبنز, セント・オールバンズ, 세인트올번스, Fanum Sancti Albani, St. Albans, Сент-Олбанс, Сент Олбанс, 聖奧爾本斯

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