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News & Events
LATCH London Trip December 2009
Christmas celebrations began a few weeks early for a group of children from LATCH who were lucky enough to take part in the Christmas trip to London on Tuesday 15 December 2009. An early start at the Angel Hotel for the children, parents, social workers, nurses, LATCH staff and supporters was rewarded with a hearty breakfast and with the surely unique sight of our excited group being played down Cardiff's Westgate Street by a cornet player from the Welsh Guards, pristine in the familiar red uniform.
The sense of anticipation increased as we boarded the luxury coach (generously provided for us by Edwards Coaches) along with a reporter and cameraman from HTV Wales who would accompany us throughout the day. As the coach departed we even heard ourselves mentioned by Angela Jay on the Real Radio Breakfast Show.
Once in London our destination was a reception at the Welsh Office with Secretary of State for Wales Peter Hain MP, a long-time supported of LATCH's work in Wales, along with Wayne David MP. Again our uniformed escort of Welsh Guardsmen and Royal Welsh Regiment regulars provided a stirring musical accompaniment and drew crowds of intrigued onlookers and tourists. After presentations to the MPs and also to the representatives of Boots, who have kindly adopted LATCH as their charity of the year for 2010 in Wales, the children tucked into their first (but by no means their last!) helping of tea and cakes of the day.
Our next stop was for tea with another very special host: the Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow MP in Speaker's House at the Palace of Westminster. More tourists gathered to watch and take pictures as we passed through security and inside to Speaker's House where we were warmly greeted with a speech by Mr Bercow. This was answered with words of thanks on behalf of LATCH from Tony Curtis, then we enjoyed a tour of the Speaker's rooms and another round of tea and sandwiches was laid on for us.
As we marched up Whitehall from the Palace of Westminster to our final stop it was hard to tell whether the adults or the children were more excited to have reached our destination: Downing Street. Here we drew our biggest crowd of onlookers yet as we passed through the airport-style security and into Downing Street itself, a scene so familiar to us all from television pictures. We were welcomed at the door of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's home at no.11 by none other than the charming Mrs Darling who provided a warm welcome and showed us around the deceptively big space inside. After more tea and cakes we were taken on an unforgettable tour of both 10 & 11 Downing Street which culminated with us all sitting around the table in the Cabinet Room: all the children had their photo taken in the Prime Minister's chair which was a real treat. Perhaps one of them will be back there as Britain's next Welsh Prime Minister someday! No Christmas trip would be complete without an appearance by Father Christmas and sure enough he arrived right on cue to give out presents to all the children - definitely the highlight of their day.
As we made our way back to Cardiff, tired but exhilarated after such an unforgettable day, a hugely well merited "thankyou" went to Tony Curtis, who worked so hard to make the day possible for the children and who deserved all our thanks for putting such big smiles on the faces of the LATCH children and parents.
