The Boarding Taster Weekend rocked to the sounds of the "SMH Idol" talent competition!

 Around twenty children wanting a little taste of boarding school life came and spent the weekend with our dynamic team of boarders and staff and they seemed to relish the experience!

As usual, there was plenty going on.  Our visitors joined in the normal classes on Saturday morning and in the afternoon were taken on a magical mystery tour of Stonyhurst College by the assistant housemaster of SMH, Mr Smith.   An old boy of Stonyhurst, Mr Smith was able to give a truly intimate tour of the building and we're assured that he threw in many (witty) anecdotes from his time at the college.

After a late afternoon football match in the sports hall and cookery classes up in the boarding wing, it was time to get ready for "SMH Idol" - the ultimate talent show.   Outfits were dusted off, lyrics printed and a sound system and lights were set up.  Soon the school was rocking to the vocals of some seriously talented kids!  Even Mrs Smith and Mrs Robinson were on form to give us an unforgettable cover version of Abba's "Mamma Mia".   But it was Octavio Perez who was finally crowned as the SMH Idol with a fantastic rendition of a Spanish rock song.  Sony records have been in touch.

On Sunday we paid a couple of further visits to the College.  Once for Mass in the morning and again in the afternoon as part of the "Sherlock Holmes Trail".  This involved tracking down various parts of the campus buildings with a connection to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who was a pupil at Stonyhurst.  The trail culminated in the "Do Room" where the successfull young detectives were able to locate the desk on which the famous author had mischievously engraved his name. 

By the time parents and guardians arrived at 4pm,  it seemed as if our new friends had been with us for months.  A great weekend!