Before it all fades from my inner eye, here's a summary of the AP Literature Tour of England, March 12-21, 2010.
We arrived at the Manchester airport early in the morning on March 13. There was no one with an EF sign waiting to meet us, so we found the toilet and gathered at the official meeting point. Shortly, a young man came up and asked if I was Lucy. Yay, our tour director found us! Paul gathered us up and took us on the train into the city of Manchester, where we wandered around a bit, took some pictures, and stopped for a traditional English breakfast in a pub, which was a very nice way to spend our first morning.
After we made our way back to the airport, the group from Canada arrived and we all boarded our orange bus driven by Owen, from Wales. He took us north to Carlisle, where we checked into our hotel, the Ibis Botchergate. After settling in, we walked through town to Carlisle Castle. As we were returning we discovered that the town was preparing for an evening event to light up Hadrian's Wall in commemoration of the 1600th anniversary of the Romans leaving Britain.
We arrived at the Manchester airport early in the morning on March 13. There was no one with an EF sign waiting to meet us, so we found the toilet and gathered at the official meeting point. Shortly, a young man came up and asked if I was Lucy. Yay, our tour director found us! Paul gathered us up and took us on the train into the city of Manchester, where we wandered around a bit, took some pictures, and stopped for a traditional English breakfast in a pub, which was a very nice way to spend our first morning.
After we made our way back to the airport, the group from Canada arrived and we all boarded our orange bus driven by Owen, from Wales. He took us north to Carlisle, where we checked into our hotel, the Ibis Botchergate. After settling in, we walked through town to Carlisle Castle. As we were returning we discovered that the town was preparing for an evening event to light up Hadrian's Wall in commemoration of the 1600th anniversary of the Romans leaving Britain.
Residents and tourists joined the parade – accompanied by a band, costumed characters and musicians – to Bitts Park, where flaming beacons marked the line of Hadrian’s Wall.
The event saw the wall lit from Segedunum Roman Fort at Wallsend to Bowness-on-Solway.
The parade, which started at 5.30pm in the city centre, followed an airborne heliosphere to Bitts Park for a firework display and lighting of the beacons.
A spokesman said more than 300 torches had been sold online – from the Go Lakes website – and hundreds more were available from Carlisle’s Tourist Information Centre.
They were also sold on the night at stalls and cost £3 if bought in advance and £4 on the night. Profits will be donated to local charities.
A spokesman for Carlisle Tourism Partnership said the event was a huge boost for tourism in the city, and county, with many city centre hotels fully booked.
Organisers of the event said they were inundated with people applying to light one of the 500 beacons at stages along the 84-mile wall, with 4,000 applications submitted.
They increased the number of illuminators from 500 to 1,000 by doubling the size of illuminator teams and hundreds are expected to go out and watch at the 250 sites. http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/hundreds-take-part-in-carlisle-procession-as-roman-wall-lit-up-1.683237?referrerPath=home
The event saw the wall lit from Segedunum Roman Fort at Wallsend to Bowness-on-Solway.
The parade, which started at 5.30pm in the city centre, followed an airborne heliosphere to Bitts Park for a firework display and lighting of the beacons.
A spokesman said more than 300 torches had been sold online – from the Go Lakes website – and hundreds more were available from Carlisle’s Tourist Information Centre.
They were also sold on the night at stalls and cost £3 if bought in advance and £4 on the night. Profits will be donated to local charities.
A spokesman for Carlisle Tourism Partnership said the event was a huge boost for tourism in the city, and county, with many city centre hotels fully booked.
Organisers of the event said they were inundated with people applying to light one of the 500 beacons at stages along the 84-mile wall, with 4,000 applications submitted.
They increased the number of illuminators from 500 to 1,000 by doubling the size of illuminator teams and hundreds are expected to go out and watch at the 250 sites. http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/hundreds-take-part-in-carlisle-procession-as-roman-wall-lit-up-1.683237?referrerPath=home
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