So it would seem...we've completed our GSE experience. Our final farewell presentation was just the other night at the Crooked House. There has been a short lapse in our reporting of what we've been doing, but certainly has only been since we've been very, very busy.
I'm happy to report the farewell shot off spectacularly!! But I'd like to let you all in on a few of the photos over the past two weeks. See what you can see in our galleries.
Let's see...where to begin. How about the Apedale Mine? We struck out into a drift mine in the heart of the industrial revolution country. We went deeper down that they usually let you go, and there were a few minor ventilation and claustrophobia problems while we were down there. Check it out: Apedale
Then we went off to the small town of Stone, which I had been hosted in the week before. We took a look at a mausoleum and toured some of the canals. We were able to go up in the tower of St. Michael's Church to overlook the town of Stone, giving me a view I hadn't seen previously. Check it: Stone
What next? Well, we went to Stafford and toured a bit around there, met with the Mayor and had a chat in his parlour. Then we had an actual canal tour for an afternoon and had an opportunity to open and close the locks and steer the longboats ourselves!
That's hardly the beginning of the last little while. We went to Slater's brewery (too early in the morning mind you), Stafford Castle, JCB heavy machinery factory, and Lichfield Cathedral! I was able to head to Oxford with my last host family to take them punting. I tell you, those Cambridge grads are lucky I didn't opt to go to Oxford...I didn't even dump my host family in the water and I would be a credit to the punting team forsure.
Most of us are in London now on vacation. I imagine it will take some time to allow what we've seen and done to sink in, but these are memories that will last a lifetime. The people we've met and lived with will always be with us and this has been an experience that shant be forgotten.
All the best,
Brennan
Finished
Probation Vocational Days
Good afternoon! I've just completed by third vocational day while over here in England. Thought ya'll should know about it as there have been some great things seen and some very passionate people met!
On my first vocational day, I visited the West Mercia Probation office in Shrewsbury. I started off by sitting in on a pre-sentence report interview for a domestic violence case and found that the interview and relevant information/risk assessment were very similar to what we do back in Saskatchewan. I went on to the Magistrate's court (which we don't have in Saskatchewan) and was toured about by the Enforcement Officer (a probation officer who prosecutes probation order breaches). Very different sort of role for a probation officer what with private prosecutions being common in England.
The Magistrate's court is a lower tiered court from the Crown court. Three magistrates panel the bench. They are "ordinary people" from all walks of life with some legal training. They are often under advisement from the court clerk on the legality of their process. Justice is done by the people for the people. Maximum sentence is 6 months custody time, or 6+6 if there is more than one charge. I sat in court and chambers with three magistrates on my third vocational day.
Probation programming observed in Shrewsbury and Stoke were great. I observed a group on criminal thinking patterns and spent a lot of time chatting with the unpaid work program (community service) as well as the program manager for Shrewsbury. I delved into their IT and their admin duties on my second vocational day and found them to be very regimented and goal oriented. Mind you, this was due to strong targets set by the government to hold probation/courts/police accountable, and came at the expense trading time to complete paperwork to meet those targets as opposed to focusing on the offenders themselves (in some regards). These targets directly affect funding.
All in all, three vocational days have shown me a good deal of what probation/court work and community operations sentence management is all about. No time at the jail though. I'm considered a foreign national and will not be allowed entrance.
All the best to the POs back home,
Brennan
Thursday, October 6 - Much Wenlock and Ironbridge
We've had a great last couple of days! We've been at Wroxeter on Monday, a livestock market on Tuesday morning with Concorde College and Shrewsbury in the afternoon, the RAF and Cold War museums on Wednesday morning, and took a nice breather with a relaxing walk about in the gardens of Lilleshall later on in the day. I 've been looking forward to today and our visit to the town of Much Wenlock and to the town of Ironbridge.
Much Wenlock is a small town, but was home to a man named William Penny Brookes who was the principal founding father of the modern olympic movement through the Wenlock Games. The town itself was very picturesque and we were lucky enough to have a tour of the Guildhall and council chambers!
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| Shaunna in the big chair |
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| Council Chambers in the Guildhall |
We had a quick bite to eat at Lena's Art and Food gallery and were off to Iron Bridge to take in the beauty of the industrial revolution.
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| Iron Bridge Panoramic |
After a short look about the town and crossing the Iron Bridge (do make sure to cross the entire length of the bridge...no stopping half way and turning back), we went off to the Jackfield Tile Museum. Very fine tile work and many rooms of how tiles were prepared and where you might see them. Do see the gallery of some of our tour if you so choose!
We completed another great presentation for the good people at the Ironbridge Rotary club and were back home just before 11. Tomorrow is an early start for breakfast at 7:15 at the Lion and then we're off to our vocational days...I'm off to see a Magistrates court and an English probation office! We'll see how the Brits take care with justice!
Cheers!
Brennan
Attingham Estate
Good afternoon folks, Brennan checking in. We've made it into Shrewsbury and have divided up to our host families! My hosts were gracious enough to take me on a tour of the National Trust's Attingham Estate today just outside of Shrewsbury. The walled garden there was quite the sight and the restoration of the estate seems to be going quite well! The trees on the grounds were quite amazing. The sculptures from the House of Beasts collection were a tad odd though...they often mixed human and animal together in a strange way. I thought they might have reflected the madness of King George III (who had many paintings/portraits in the estate), but I may be drawing embellished conclusions.
They didn't allow pictures of the inner estate, but the rooms that had been restored were magnificent. My hosts were very knowledgeable about the estate and the grounds, and gave plenty of insight into what to do with my future garden!
There were many small shops setup inside the walled garden area, and I picked up my first trinket. A metal sign for the entrance of my new house back home:
Quite fitting! I believe it will suit my house rather finely.
We took a short jaunt up and through Much Wenlock due to me recognizing a name there (more on that later in the week when we go to Much Wenlock as a group) and then back home again. Do see the gallery of other photos if it so pleases you.
Not a bad start at all! All the best,
Brennan
Jet Set
We've made it to the Regina airport and are waiting for the plane to take us away. Our GSE gear came in too! Check it out.
See you soon, England!
Team Picture
Taken after their first presentation to Neepawa Rotarians and Guests.
