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Business Studies and Economics Trip
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Feb 11, 2010 - 7:59:12 AM

Year 13 Business Studies and Economics Trip to Manchester

Day 1

On Friday 29 January, 15 students took the long, arduous trip by minibus to Manchester. Driven by Mr. Shields and Mr Mace, we headed off for the trip of a lifetime braving rain, wind and the M5! Still we battled through until, standing there imperious, like Meschaninov on the football field, stood the holy grail, Old Trafford, home of Manchester United. The initial wonderment was dissipated by the mega store, a shop laden with the most glorious of tat - whence Messrs Newton and Hoffman emerged with tops literally made for Year 9s.

After the mega store, we received a highly informative talk on the financial and marketing aspects of the club, followed by many students asking relevant questions. Then, Mr Mace had to spoil it all by asking the dumb-founded presenter about the club’s profit margins on ticket sales…you could have heard a pin drop…indeed they say there’s always one!

After the tour we proceeded to the hotel, approximately 5 minutes away. Once disembarked, we endeavoured to go inside, the marvellous marble flooring blinding us; red, plush carpets awaited our arrival. It was obvious they had heard great things about Warminster School Year 13 students! We felt like the players themselves. We all gathered and, waiting for Mr Mace and Mr Shields to check us in, we remarked how good the accommodation was – how we couldn’t have asked for better. But, in true Warminster School fashion, we were at the wrong hotel. Sure, we were at the Premier Inn, but we were at the wrong one: ours was a further 10 minutes away! Mumbling our dissatisfaction vocally, we headed back to the minibus and, a couple of detours later, we arrived, fashionably late, at our more modest accommodation on the Salford Quays.

After check-in, we met in the bar, then headed off to watch Sale Sharks play Northampton Saints, courtesy of Mr Newton who secured us fantastic corporate seats which were greatly needed with temperatures below freezing. The game itself was great to watch, and indeed it was very close: a late Sale try set up a nail-biting end with Saints just edging it.

After the game it was safe to say that a lot of people could eat, so Chiquiotos, a
quaint little Mexican restaurant, at which all the classic dishes could be bought, from Burritos to Fajitas, anything a Mexican could want. And to think…not a tequila in sight!

Day 2

A cultural day, in which we sampled what Manchester had to offer. A cacophony of museums, shops and restaurants makes Manchester a fantastic place to be. Indeed, we could see how all these things combine to create a fantastic marketing mix. Having sampled the shops and the museums during the day, for dinner it was a trip to a Chinese restaurant in Manchester’s China Town. The food was excellent with even Billy Ho, Sam Wei, Thomas Li and Steven Leung getting excited. Afters were served courtesy of a quiet, little karaoke bar where everybody just happened to be male! Gillian, Linda and Anna were suitably impressed. The night was perfect, too perfect. Then on stage, a misty haze of smoke gave way to the dazzling figures of Sam and Adam singing “My Heart will go on”. Mr Mace was almost rushed to hospital with heart failure (or embarrassment) but the show had to go on. To their credit both Sam and Adam got a standing ovation, although there were no seats to be perfectly honest. A truly memorable moment and one that will stay with me (us) for a very long time to come. After this, we proceeded to a quiet, Irish pub and were horrified by the sight of James Short, a devious predator of the night, showing his moves on the dance floor. Overall, a very memorable night: I am sure everyone had a fantastic time and would indeed go again next week.

Special mention must go to both Mr Shields and Mr Mace for giving up their free time to take a truly unforgettable trip and one from which everyone can take away some valuable insights into real-life applications of Business concepts like ‘marketing mix’ and business acumen. From the talk at Old Trafford to seeing the city of Manchester and analysing marketing techniques, I say, once again, a very big thank you to both Mr Mace and Mr Shields.

Tom Newton