From the Soham Grammarian Summer 1960 - If you can add anecdotes or photos about this trip, please contact the editor.
Tuesday It was on Ely Station at 7.15 a.m. that some of the School party destined for Switzerland boarded the London train to begin over twenty-four hours travelling. At Cambridge we were joined by the rest of the party including our two leaders Mr. Hart and Mr. Bozeat. Settling down in the train for the comparatively short journey to London Bailey soon donned his disguise of deerstalker hat and sun goggles. Our journey was uneventful, no-one was sick on the channel steamer, until we arrived at Thionville in North France at 1 o'clock in the morning.
Wednesday It was here that the crack Continental Express was shunted backwards and forwards for over an hour and a half, apparently the porters couldn't disconnect the last coach; something to do with the guards braces or so we understood. It was at Basle that the party first set foot in Switzerland. At two o'clock we descended on the non-existent customs and then settled down to wait two hours on what is reputed to be the coldest and chilliest station anywhere. Several hours and three trains later we arrived at Pension Schlosli Bonigen on Lake Brienz. The rest of the day was spent settling in.
Thursday It was our first full day and we travelled to Kandersteg to see the Oerchinen lake. It was on the way up to the lake (above the snow line) that Mr. Hart showed his paces as a walker; he also showed a clean pair of heels to the main group of the party. After dinner we came down some, the weaker brethren, by skilift, while the ones who walked down had a great deal of fun, some people had an odd desire to bury their heads in snow drifts.
Friday There were two items for todays activities and the party split into two. One group under (!) Mr. Bozeat and another with Mr. Hart. Mr. Bozeat's group went to the wood carving shop of Walter Stanley in Brienz and then to the Aare gorge of Sherlock Holmes fame while Mr. Hart's group went to the Aare gorge first and then to Walter Stanley's.
Saturday Our main objective was Kliene [sic] Shiedeg on the foothills of the Jung Frau and it was here that we were able to try our hand at sledging for there was plenty of snow. This was not all though, for some of the more large and portly members of the group tried their hand at skiing.
Sunday The day of rest, for some. Nothing was organised and as it was Easter day those who wished went to Holy Communion at the local parish church. Meanwhile a race round Lake Brienz had been started. According to the signpost it should have taken Daly and Saberton, who won the race, 8 hours 45 minutes; it only took them 4 hours!
Monday We went to the Niederhorn travelling by nearly every mode of transport available in Switzerland. We travelled by train, P.T.T. (G.P.O.), bus and skilift to the top of the Niederhorn then by Skilift, shank's pony, cable railway, lake steamer and train back to Bonigen. Unfortunately the Niederhorn was covered with cloud so our stay was rather disappointing. At 10 p.m. a small select body of the group met in Bailey's room to attend a party thrown by him, invitations having been issued the same day. Here we partook of spangles, thick slices of bread, cheese, apples, hard boiled eggs and other assorted dishes. All did not end well, for the bed that Mr. Hart and Mr. Bozeat decided to sit down on at the same time, with a little helping, was not equal to the strain and promptly broke much to the consternation of Bailey whose bed it was.
Tuesday This being our last full day we were allowed to do some last minute shopping.
Wednesday We said goodbye to Pension Schlosli and at 9.30 we started our long 34 hour journey home. The afternoon and evening were spent in Berne, the capital of Switzerland where we saw the famous bears and the coffee club was formed. Resuming our journey at 10.30 we dozed fitfully until we reached Strazbourg. Here as at Thionville, our tempers became frayed with the French railways for while the train was halted in the station because of a cracked wheel on the last coach hordes of Italians went back and forth up along the platform.
With only slight hitches we reached London where due to the Strazbourg hold-up we had exactly 15 minutes to cross London in the rush hour. Some did and some didn't! The 5.57 train pulled out of Liverpool Street Station with less than half the contingent on board, however, the rest followed on the next train. At the end of the journey at Cambridge Bailey's comment was, "Where are we going next year, and can I put my name down?" This expresses everybody's feeling and I am sure that there is no better way of thanking Mr. Hart and Mr. Bozeat.
W.S., VI Arts.