Galashiels schoolkids make the most of London trip

After checking in to their youth hostel, the S4, 5 and 6 students visited St Paul’s Cathedral then toured the Royal Court of Justice before attending the hugely popular Hamilton show at the Victoria Palace Theatre.

Another early start followed and they visited Trafalgar Square and did a walking tour of Whitehall which included visiting 10 Downing Street, Horse Guards, the Cenotaph, Buckingham Palace – where they saw a changing of the guards ceremony – Westminster Bridge and the London Eye before enjoying a river cruise on the Thames.

They then went on an official tour of the House of Commons including the debating chamber and House of Lords.

Borders MP John Lamont met the group in one of the grand committee rooms in the Houses of Parliament with Lord Purvis of Tweed.

They discussed the differences between Westminster and the Scottish Parliament, the scrutiny of legislation, and the power of social media before having a photograph taken at New Palace Yard overlooking Big Ben.

Mr Lamont said: “It was an absolute pleasure to meet with bright young pupils from Galashiels Academy as they toured the House of Commons.

“It is inspiring to see such a keen interest in politics and the workings of our democracy from local school pupils.

“Their enthusiasm and knowledge was fantastic. They were a credit to their school and the Borders.

“If you would like to arrange a trip for your school or community group, please get in touch for more information.”

The group finished the day with a tour of the British Museum.

On Saturday, March 4, the pupils visited the Imperial War Museum which included a room dedicated to the war in Ukraine and a section dedicated to the Holocaust.

They then went to the Globe theatre, the Golden Hinde ship, HMS Belfast, City Hall, Tower Bridge and the Tower of London, culminating in a shopping spree at the Westfield Stratford Centre.