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News and Updates from the CU team
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September Activities and Updates
Mon 11 Sep 2023Wow everyone, we are back!
We had an amazing time celebrating your graduations at school and Kidzania with you all, we were so proud of you all! Our summer flew by and we had an amazing time with Topsy-Turvy, Tanzii TV, BoxtheNiks, The Vue, Really Big Pants Theatre and Dzerts thanks to our kind sponsors WCC, HAF, Axis and Kitchen Social we are so truly grateful.
What lovely weather we are still having too, which means that there are still lots of opportunities for beach and park exploring and reconnecting with nature. The 2023 Royal Parks Half Marathon will take place on Sunday 8 October 2023 so if you would like to be part of the spectating crowd the Parks will be a hive of activity this weekend.
The Royal Parks Half Marathon, presented by Royal Bank of Canada, is a unique challenge event. Run on closed roads with a festival atmosphere, it’s a landmark day for both runners and supporters alike. This stunning course threads its way through the beauty and majesty of four Royal Parks and past iconic landmarks including Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament and the Royal Albert Hall. Although there are some gentle undulations it’s a generally flat course, making it fantastic for both beginners and experienced runners.
Key facts
- 13.1 miles through the heart of London
- One lap on closed roads, starting and finishing in Hyde Park
- Four water stations at mile 3, 6, 9, and 11
- Takes in many of the capital’s world-famous landmarks
- Runs through four of London’s eight Royal Parks – Hyde Park, The Green Park, St James’s Park and Kensington Gardens
How about a walk through our most adjacent Royal Park if the half marathon feels too energetic? Kensington Gardens is often confused with Hyde Park which sits adjacent and is separated by West Carriage Drive. Unlike Hyde Park it is locked at night and has a more formal garden layout with avenues of trees converging on Kensington Palace. There are toilets next to the Italian Gardens or on the south side of the park near to the board walk exit at the end of the Flower Walk.
Starting from the Lancaster Hall Hotel, turn left along Craven Terrace and at the end you will see Kensington Gardens, turn left past the Swan pub and enter the park on your right through the gate opposite Lancaster Gate tube station. On entering the park, you will see the Italian Gardens ahead of you.
The Italian Gardens
They were the brainchild of Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria and were completed in the 1860s. They consist of 4 main ponds with fountains and a central rosette, again with fountain. There are numerous stone statues, carvings and urns along with an ornate shelter which originally housed the pumps for the fountains. With the recent addition of a café behind the pump house this is a wonderful place to sit and observe the colourful park life.
To the left you will see the poshest park bench in London! Queen Anne's alcove was designed by Sir Christopher Wren who is famous for St. Paul Cathedral in the City of London and the Royal Observatory at Greenwich.
The Westbourne River once flowed above ground directly into the Serpentine but as the area become more developed and polluted it was redirected underground and the Italian Gardens were supplied with water pumped from boreholes.
When you have finished at the Italian Gardens keep on the path immediately to the right of the gardens where a unique Rolls Royce ice cream van is usually parked in the summer months. Keep on this path until you reach the Peter Pan statue on your right along with a wonderful view of the Long Water with the wide variety of bird life on display.
Peter Pan Statue
In 1912 a statue of Peter Pan appeared without warning or permission in Kensington Gardens and remained ever since. Commissioned by the author J.M Barrie and depicting Peter pan blowing a pipe on the stump of a tree it has proved a popular attraction in Kensington Gardens since. Children love to explore this intricate statue with fairies, mice and squirrels cast into the base.
Continue on this path for a few moments until it opens out into two paths. At this point you will find the most popular spot for meeting the parakeets.
The Parakeets.
We are often asked ‘Where are the parakeets in Kensington Gardens?’ As their numbers have grown over the past 15 year they have moved from near the Albert Memorial to this spot just past the Peter Pan statue.
It is not unusual to see groups of people taking photos with parakeets perched on their heads or shoulders. Apples skewered onto the railings along this path have become a common sight and seem to do the trick in attracting the parakeets. We recommend bringing a handful of seeds to guarantee a close up encounter. From here take the left hand path past the Long Water on your left and continue on the right hand fork gently up hill and follow the path all the way around to the Serpentine Gallery.
The Serpentine gallery and pavilion
The serpentine gallery came into being in 1970 when the tea rooms where turned into a gallery. Each year the Serpentine Gallery commissions a temporary summer pavilion by a leading architect which is constructed on site and remains in situ for 3 months starting in June.
After the Serpentine Gallery re-join the path running parallel with the West Carriage Drive separating Kensington Gardens with Hyde Park. Cross the main cycle path and continue straight along the path which bends to the right before the Albert Memorial comes into view.
The Albert Memorial
The Albert Memorial is a monument on a grand scale and is a must for any tour of the Royal Parks. It can be found on the Kensington side of the park by the Royal Albert Hall. Designed by George Gilbert Scott it was built to commemorate Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert after his untimely death from typhoid fever in 1861.
Prince Albert holds a catalogue of the Great Exhibition held moments away in Hyde Park in 1851 and sits on a base surround by 187 carved figures of architects, poets, painters, sculptors and musicians. On each corner of the overall monument are marble sculptures representing Asia, Africa, America and Europe.
If you walk all the way around you will see the Royal Albert Hall which is on the boundary of an area centred around Exhibition Road containing a large number of cultural and educational institutions including Imperial College, The Science Museum, The Natural History Museum, The Victoria and Albert Museum, The Royal College of Art and the Royal College of Music, to name a few.
Stop here for refreshments at the Kiosk located next to the Albert Memorial and sit on a bench along the South Carriage Drive. This road is closed to cars and is a great spot to people watch; it attracts cyclists, runners and occasionally a game of roller hockey on a Sunday afternoon. Retrace your steps back from the Albert Memorial and enter through the gates into the Flower Walk.
The Flower walk
The Flower Walk, as the name suggests, is a long straight path adorned with mature trees and curated flower displays through spring and summer. It is a peaceful haven away from the hustle and bustle with benches where park goers and sit and contemplate. At the end of the Flower Walk there is a public toilet and refreshments kiosk along with the Boardwalk which is a major thoroughfare through the park. Cross over this wide path and take a narrow path on the opposite side leading up to the main gates of Kensington Palace.
Kensington Palace
Stretching back to 1605, Kensington Palace has a long rich history and to this day is the official royal residence of a number or royals including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Parts of the palace are open to the public all year round including the King's State Apartments and Queen's State Apartment. In addition, you can see the childhood apartments of Queen Victoria where she grew up. Currently you need to book in advance, and more information can be found here. Alternatively you can treat yourself to tea or coffee at the Palace Cafe. If you walk past the terrace of the Palace Cafe you can take a zig-zag path up to what is known as the Cradle Walk. If you would like to visit Kensington palace with your class and us at WCU, please get in touch and book your preferred date with us.
The Cradle Walk
The Cradle Walk is a spectacular arbour of red-twigged lime, trained over a metal frame which in summer provides an inviting shaded tunnel of green with glimpses of both the palace and the hugely colourful Sunken Garden. As you walk around the Cradle Walk you will be able to see the Sunken Gardens which are not open to the public.
The Sunken Gardens
The Sunken Garden is a formal flower garden created in 1908 based on a similar design to that found in Hampton Court. Prince Harry announced his engagement to Megan Markle in the Sunken Garden, which had been a great favourite with his mother, Diana Princess of Wales. On the 1st of July 2021 Princes Harry, Duke of Sussex and William, Duke of Cambridge unveiled a statue of their late mother, the Princess of Wales on what would have been Diana’s 60th birthday. You can read more about the statue here. As you leave the Cradle Walk and the Sunken Garden you exit onto the Broad Walk, cross over directly and you will come to the Round Pond.
The Round Pond
The Round Pond in Kensington Gardens is very much the focal point of the formal landscape features of the park and is home to a huge number of swans, geese and ducks. George II who was the last reigning monarch to use the adjacent Kensington Palace up until 1760 had commissioned the Round Pond which was finished around 1730.On a Sunday morning it is popular with model yacht enthusiasts in particular the Model Yacht Association and the London Model Yacht Club. As you reach the other side of the Round Pond continue in a straight line along an avenue of trees until you come to the Physical Energy Sculpture. If you would like to book an RSPB session with us, please get in touch and book your preferred date with us directly.
Physical Energy Sculpture
The magnificent Physical Energy sculpture is the creation of British artist George Watts who unfortunately died before it was installed in Kensington Gardens in 1907. The statue is very much a focal point given its central location within Kensington Gardens.
There are lots of key dates coming up in September for you to celebrate with some fun challenges from us at WCU:
- 15th is the International Day of Democracy
This year's theme — “Empowering the Next Generation” — focuses on the essential role of children and young people in safeguarding democracy today and in the future. Your school can access resources at https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/t-t-2548913-whole-school-democracy-assembly-pack or maybe you could get your school involved in SMART School Councils so that you can practise school democracy together at https://home.smartschoolcouncils.org.uk/
- 16th follows with National Read a Book Day and the 18th is the National Literacy Day
Why not organise a whole school reading half an hour or write us a review of your favourite book? Send them to us and there will be a prize for our top 2 reads announced after the October holidays. Or you could write your own story to enter that we could share online.
- 9th World First Aid Day
First Aid is a great skill to have to help others and if you’d like to book free training for your class get in touch with us to book your session directly.
- 18th National Coding Week
Create and share your own Scratch or Raspberry Pi project and share it, the best 3 entries will receive their very own, full Micro-Bit Set after the October holidays.
- 19th-25th Recycling Week
We will be organising Community Litter Picks with QPCC so if you’d like to get involved in some local community action ,your teachers can book in and we can all do something really amazing together.
- 21s International Day of Peace
The following 10 peace-central CREATIVE activities will help you explore this topic in a range of unique ways.
- Peace Rocks. ...
- Peace Colouring. ...
- A Promise of Peace Dove. ...
- What does peace look like? ...
- Handprint Art. ...
- Make a Peace Pledge. ...
- Peace Artwork. ...
- Peace Mala Bracelet.
- 22nd Car Free Day
Why not organise a car-free day for the event and share with TFL as the start of your STARS journey? https://stars.tfl.gov.uk/
- 26th European Day of Languages How about exploring one of these Free Online Language Learning Resources for Kids
- ABCYA. A free educational site for kids ages pre-K-6+ with games and activities in English, as well as Spanish word bingo and Spanish vocabulary.
- Bookflix. ...
- Digital Dialects. ...
- Duolingo. ...
- LearnEnglishKids. ...
- Mango Languages. ...
- PBS. ...
- TumbleBooks Library.
- 29th World Heart Day
What is the theme of World Heart Day 2023?
World Heart Day 2023: Theme, Facts and Purpose
Use Heart for every Heart
“Use Heart for every Heart” is this year's theme, unanimously declared by the World Heart Federation. Although this day emphasizes cardiac diseases and urges the world community to keep their heart healthy yet this theme of the day takes us beyond the just physical wellness of the heart. Create a poster to raise awareness or organise a sports event to promote healthy heart behaviours. Share it with us through your coordinator and we will put it online for everyone to see. Take a dance class (or try Pilates, hiking, ice skating). Choose physical activities for social time with friends and family and multiply heart-healthy effects!
There will be achievement codes for all of the above and we have some amazing opportunities for you all this coming season so we look forward to meeting your coordinators and getting you all booked up this September…
Wow everyone, we are back!
We had an amazing time celebrating your graduations at school and Kidzania with you all, we were so proud of you all! Our summer flew by and we had an amazing time with Topsy-Turvy, Tanzii TV, BoxtheNiks, The Vue, Really Big Pants Theatre and Dzerts thanks to our kind sponsors WCC, HAF, Axis and Kitchen Social we are so truly grateful.
What lovely weather we are still having too, which means that there are still lots of opportunities for beach and park exploring and reconnecting with nature. The 2023 Royal Parks Half Marathon will take place on Sunday 8 October 2023 so if you would like to be part of the spectating crowd the Parks will be a hive of activity this weekend.
The Royal Parks Half Marathon, presented by Royal Bank of Canada, is a unique challenge event. Run on closed roads with a festival atmosphere, it’s a landmark day for both runners and supporters alike. This stunning course threads its way through the beauty and majesty of four Royal Parks and past iconic landmarks including Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament and the Royal Albert Hall. Although there are some gentle undulations it’s a generally flat course, making it fantastic for both beginners and experienced runners.
Key facts
- 13.1 miles through the heart of London
- One lap on closed roads, starting and finishing in Hyde Park
- Four water stations at mile 3, 6, 9, and 11
- Takes in many of the capital’s world-famous landmarks
- Runs through four of London’s eight Royal Parks – Hyde Park, The Green Park, St James’s Park and Kensington Gardens
How about a walk through our most adjacent Royal Park if the half marathon feels too energetic? Kensington Gardens is often confused with Hyde Park which sits adjacent and is separated by West Carriage Drive. Unlike Hyde Park it is locked at night and has a more formal garden layout with avenues of trees converging on Kensington Palace. There are toilets next to the Italian Gardens or on the south side of the park near to the board walk exit at the end of the Flower Walk.
Starting from the Lancaster Hall Hotel, turn left along Craven Terrace and at the end you will see Kensington Gardens, turn left past the Swan pub and enter the park on your right through the gate opposite Lancaster Gate tube station. On entering the park, you will see the Italian Gardens ahead of you.
The Italian Gardens
They were the brainchild of Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria and were completed in the 1860s. They consist of 4 main ponds with fountains and a central rosette, again with fountain. There are numerous stone statues, carvings and urns along with an ornate shelter which originally housed the pumps for the fountains. With the recent addition of a café behind the pump house this is a wonderful place to sit and observe the colourful park life.
To the left you will see the poshest park bench in London! Queen Anne's alcove was designed by Sir Christopher Wren who is famous for St. Paul Cathedral in the City of London and the Royal Observatory at Greenwich.
The Westbourne River once flowed above ground directly into the Serpentine but as the area become more developed and polluted it was redirected underground and the Italian Gardens were supplied with water pumped from boreholes.
When you have finished at the Italian Gardens keep on the path immediately to the right of the gardens where a unique Rolls Royce ice cream van is usually parked in the summer months. Keep on this path until you reach the Peter Pan statue on your right along with a wonderful view of the Long Water with the wide variety of bird life on display.
Peter Pan Statue
In 1912 a statue of Peter Pan appeared without warning or permission in Kensington Gardens and remained ever since. Commissioned by the author J.M Barrie and depicting Peter pan blowing a pipe on the stump of a tree it has proved a popular attraction in Kensington Gardens since. Children love to explore this intricate statue with fairies, mice and squirrels cast into the base.
Continue on this path for a few moments until it opens out into two paths. At this point you will find the most popular spot for meeting the parakeets.
The Parakeets.
We are often asked ‘Where are the parakeets in Kensington Gardens?’ As their numbers have grown over the past 15 year they have moved from near the Albert Memorial to this spot just past the Peter Pan statue.
It is not unusual to see groups of people taking photos with parakeets perched on their heads or shoulders. Apples skewered onto the railings along this path have become a common sight and seem to do the trick in attracting the parakeets. We recommend bringing a handful of seeds to guarantee a close up encounter. From here take the left hand path past the Long Water on your left and continue on the right hand fork gently up hill and follow the path all the way around to the Serpentine Gallery.
The Serpentine gallery and pavilion
The serpentine gallery came into being in 1970 when the tea rooms where turned into a gallery. Each year the Serpentine Gallery commissions a temporary summer pavilion by a leading architect which is constructed on site and remains in situ for 3 months starting in June.
After the Serpentine Gallery re-join the path running parallel with the West Carriage Drive separating Kensington Gardens with Hyde Park. Cross the main cycle path and continue straight along the path which bends to the right before the Albert Memorial comes into view.
The Albert Memorial
The Albert Memorial is a monument on a grand scale and is a must for any tour of the Royal Parks. It can be found on the Kensington side of the park by the Royal Albert Hall. Designed by George Gilbert Scott it was built to commemorate Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert after his untimely death from typhoid fever in 1861.
Prince Albert holds a catalogue of the Great Exhibition held moments away in Hyde Park in 1851 and sits on a base surround by 187 carved figures of architects, poets, painters, sculptors and musicians. On each corner of the overall monument are marble sculptures representing Asia, Africa, America and Europe.
If you walk all the way around you will see the Royal Albert Hall which is on the boundary of an area centred around Exhibition Road containing a large number of cultural and educational institutions including Imperial College, The Science Museum, The Natural History Museum, The Victoria and Albert Museum, The Royal College of Art and the Royal College of Music, to name a few.
Stop here for refreshments at the Kiosk located next to the Albert Memorial and sit on a bench along the South Carriage Drive. This road is closed to cars and is a great spot to people watch; it attracts cyclists, runners and occasionally a game of roller hockey on a Sunday afternoon. Retrace your steps back from the Albert Memorial and enter through the gates into the Flower Walk.
The Flower walk
The Flower Walk, as the name suggests, is a long straight path adorned with mature trees and curated flower displays through spring and summer. It is a peaceful haven away from the hustle and bustle with benches where park goers and sit and contemplate. At the end of the Flower Walk there is a public toilet and refreshments kiosk along with the Boardwalk which is a major thoroughfare through the park. Cross over this wide path and take a narrow path on the opposite side leading up to the main gates of Kensington Palace.
Kensington Palace
Stretching back to 1605, Kensington Palace has a long rich history and to this day is the official royal residence of a number or royals including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Parts of the palace are open to the public all year round including the King's State Apartments and Queen's State Apartment. In addition, you can see the childhood apartments of Queen Victoria where she grew up. Currently you need to book in advance, and more information can be found here. Alternatively you can treat yourself to tea or coffee at the Palace Cafe. If you walk past the terrace of the Palace Cafe you can take a zig-zag path up to what is known as the Cradle Walk. If you would like to visit Kensington palace with your class and us at WCU, please get in touch and book your preferred date with us.
The Cradle Walk
The Cradle Walk is a spectacular arbour of red-twigged lime, trained over a metal frame which in summer provides an inviting shaded tunnel of green with glimpses of both the palace and the hugely colourful Sunken Garden. As you walk around the Cradle Walk you will be able to see the Sunken Gardens which are not open to the public.
The Sunken Gardens
The Sunken Garden is a formal flower garden created in 1908 based on a similar design to that found in Hampton Court. Prince Harry announced his engagement to Megan Markle in the Sunken Garden, which had been a great favourite with his mother, Diana Princess of Wales. On the 1st of July 2021 Princes Harry, Duke of Sussex and William, Duke of Cambridge unveiled a statue of their late mother, the Princess of Wales on what would have been Diana’s 60th birthday. You can read more about the statue here. As you leave the Cradle Walk and the Sunken Garden you exit onto the Broad Walk, cross over directly and you will come to the Round Pond.
The Round Pond
The Round Pond in Kensington Gardens is very much the focal point of the formal landscape features of the park and is home to a huge number of swans, geese and ducks. George II who was the last reigning monarch to use the adjacent Kensington Palace up until 1760 had commissioned the Round Pond which was finished around 1730.On a Sunday morning it is popular with model yacht enthusiasts in particular the Model Yacht Association and the London Model Yacht Club. As you reach the other side of the Round Pond continue in a straight line along an avenue of trees until you come to the Physical Energy Sculpture. If you would like to book an RSPB session with us, please get in touch and book your preferred date with us directly.
Physical Energy Sculpture
The magnificent Physical Energy sculpture is the creation of British artist George Watts who unfortunately died before it was installed in Kensington Gardens in 1907. The statue is very much a focal point given its central location within Kensington Gardens.
There are lots of key dates coming up in September for you to celebrate with some fun challenges from us at WCU:
- 15th is the International Day of Democracy
This year's theme — “Empowering the Next Generation” — focuses on the essential role of children and young people in safeguarding democracy today and in the future. Your school can access resources at https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/t-t-2548913-whole-school-democracy-assembly-pack or maybe you could get your school involved in SMART School Councils so that you can practise school democracy together at https://home.smartschoolcouncils.org.uk/
- 16th follows with National Read a Book Day and the 18th is the National Literacy Day
Why not organise a whole school reading half an hour or write us a review of your favourite book? Send them to us and there will be a prize for our top 2 reads announced after the October holidays. Or you could write your own story to enter that we could share online.
- 9th World First Aid Day
First Aid is a great skill to have to help others and if you’d like to book free training for your class get in touch with us to book your session directly.
- 18th National Coding Week
Create and share your own Scratch or Raspberry Pi project and share it, the best 3 entries will receive their very own, full Micro-Bit Set after the October holidays.
- 19th-25th Recycling Week
We will be organising Community Litter Picks with QPCC so if you’d like to get involved in some local community action ,your teachers can book in and we can all do something really amazing together.
- 21s International Day of Peace
The following 10 peace-central CREATIVE activities will help you explore this topic in a range of unique ways.
- Peace Rocks. ...
- Peace Colouring. ...
- A Promise of Peace Dove. ...
- What does peace look like? ...
- Handprint Art. ...
- Make a Peace Pledge. ...
- Peace Artwork. ...
- Peace Mala Bracelet.
- 22nd Car Free Day
Why not organise a car-free day for the event and share with TFL as the start of your STARS journey? https://stars.tfl.gov.uk/
- 26th European Day of Languages How about exploring one of these Free Online Language Learning Resources for Kids
- ABCYA. A free educational site for kids ages pre-K-6+ with games and activities in English, as well as Spanish word bingo and Spanish vocabulary.
- Bookflix. ...
- Digital Dialects. ...
- Duolingo. ...
- LearnEnglishKids. ...
- Mango Languages. ...
- PBS. ...
- TumbleBooks Library.
- 29th World Heart Day
What is the theme of World Heart Day 2023?
World Heart Day 2023: Theme, Facts and Purpose
Use Heart for every Heart
“Use Heart for every Heart” is this year's theme, unanimously declared by the World Heart Federation. Although this day emphasizes cardiac diseases and urges the world community to keep their heart healthy yet this theme of the day takes us beyond the just physical wellness of the heart. Create a poster to raise awareness or organise a sports event to promote healthy heart behaviours. Share it with us through your coordinator and we will put it online for everyone to see. Take a dance class (or try Pilates, hiking, ice skating). Choose physical activities for social time with friends and family and multiply heart-healthy effects!
There will be achievement codes for all of the above and we have some amazing opportunities for you all this coming season so we look forward to meeting your coordinators and getting you all booked up this September…
