Do you believe my name boring
Just because its unfamiliar?
Let me tell you a little story.
I know of two famous Edmund's
Both of them were famous rulers.
Then of course there's boring old me.
Ever heard of the Black Prince?
An evil guy he might be
But he still has my favourite name.
Then there is a saint of England
Who has not slain a single dragon
But died defending our country.
Large parts of his life are a mystery,
But there are some things that we know.
He could not be bribed by flattery,
And was just no matter who you were.
His luck was doomed to run out in battle,
Slain by the pagan Danish hordes.
Although his death was full of pain,
For the bravery he showed he became a Saint.
Now deposed as Saint of England,
Just remember one last thing about him:
He's a saint of wolves you see,
And seems to like East Anglia too.
So if you think all Edmund's evil
Just look up our old saint.
Or if you like a good old fable
CS Lewis likes me too.
The Eden Project
As we headed to the Eden Project we were amused by the bizarre place names along the way. These included places such as Piddletrenthide and East Taphouse. For ages our only clue to our destination was the occasional road sign. Finally we reached what looked like a massive quarry, within which hordes of people were milling around. It was only when we headed down into the pit that we finally saw the twin domes that we sought. They looked like tennis balls cut in half and then stuck in the ground, though they dwarfed all around them. They contained two different climates, one temperate and one tropical.
The temperate half of the project was like most gardens, parks or forests we may have visited in our lives, with few truly exotic plants within its high dome. The temperature was also similar to that outside the Project, ensuring that we felt comfortable as we walked around the interior and that the heat was not unbearable. However, once we had entered the tropical bio dome our reaction altered. It was like stepping into a scene from a science fiction movie, the contents of the immense structure like nothing we had witnessed before. Strange, alien-looking plants hung across the paths that stretched into the distance, past the mini-waterfall set to one side of a small clearing. Bees and other small insects darted between the beautiful plants and those that would eat meat in a flash. The biggest difference though was the temperature, especially for anyone used to the cooler British climate. Stepping into the dome from the air-conditioned reception area felt as if you were walking into a sauna on a cold day, such was the difference we felt. The humidity also meant that walking became more of a struggle, especially when the paths sloped upwards, so more breaks were required as we looked round, and far more water was consumed.
There were two more comical moments during the trip, one during a rest break and one on the drive home. While we were sat catching our breath a friend returned from a visit to one of the shops nearby. Clearly annoyed at something we asked him what was the problem, and his answer was:
"A pound for a small tub of ice cream? That's a complete rip-off."
We could not help laughing at his statement, although not for long so we did not hurt his feelings. The other amusing event started from an entirely innocent comment made to a friend. As we drove back I happened to notice that we had passed two very similar looking caravans on the motorway, and mentioned to the friend next to me how I found this a little bizarre. Having somehow arrived at the conclusion that this was more than mere coincidence, and that there was some conspiracy at work, we began a game where every time a caravan was sighted one of my classmates would shout out:
"Ah, caravan, EVIL!"
Somehow this joke kept us entertained most of the way home, although I am unsure what our teacher made of the whole situation. |
Submission Name: Referral piece 2
