Work experience in Suzanne's by Adrienn Ardai

I work in Suzanne’s, a little souvenir shop on the sea front. First I wasn’t satisfied with this job, because I wanted to work in a pub or something like that. But now I love this place. Marilyn and Sally, the ladies who I work with are really kind and lovely women. They are patient and always help me when I’m in trouble. The first week was very, very quiet and boring, because there was just a few costumers. This week was busier, fortunately, because this week is half-term break. In autumn souvenir shops are not so busy, these are more a summer enterprises. Marilyn told me, in the summer it is very, very busy; once there were about 70 students inside. I enjoy serving the costumers. I learn many, many new thing about people, money, company and of course my English evolves. I learnt how to use the cash register and serve people. First it was complicated for me, but I learned it soon. Beside this, I have to be kind with people (even if they are rude), ask questions from them (e.g. Would you like a bag? etc.); sometimes I have to clean or tidy. It is not so tiring, I think this is the best for me. Next week I’m going to work in KSE, because Suzanne’s will close in winter.

Work experience in Marks&Spencer by Sándor Noémi, Sághy Enikő

"I am working in Marks and Spencer. It has a food section and clothes section. I think this shop is for everyone, but I see mostly elder people, and moms with their children. My colleagues are friendly, and helpful, because every time I ask something from them, they help me. On the first day I was working at the Christmas decorations, and I had to organize and tidy the shelves. I was at women's clothing for a long time. I had to sizetidy the clothes a lot, I had to do piping, which is to put the correct number to the hanger. I had to do clearing, what is to put the clothes to the right places. I had to do cleaning. I really enjoy working here."

"I worked at Marks & Spencer for 3 weeks. Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It was good but sometimes a little bit boring, when they couldn't give us job. Actually I did the same everyday. It was very good when I could talk to my workmates because it helped to my English. We had an hour lunch break between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. So what did I do: Size tiding the clothes and the shoes, helped in the Fitting Room, took out the clothes from the fitting room and took back their places and took out some new clothes, bags or shoes from the storage. Overall it was a good work experience for me in another country."

Work experience in Churchill Tavern by Bettina Harsányi

I work at Churchill Tavern which is a seafront pub and restaurant situated in the heart of Ramsgate. To be honest, I was a bit anxious yet excited when I got to know my work placement but now I know all the worrying was for nothing since I enjoy every moment of my job. The staff, including the manager as well, has been very friendly and helpful since the beginning, moreover, the customers are also kind and understandable towards me. In the beginning, I was afraid people would have difficulties to understand me and/or the other way around but surprisingly, as I got used to how things work and people's accents (there's a college near by therefore a lot of students come in at lunchtime whose mother tongue isn't English so to be fair it was more difficult for me to understand them than the British) everything seems to be easier. What I find really rewarding and a bit funny is that when I talk with customers and at some point they realise I'm not British, they get surprised and compliment on my English. Also, I love chatting with regulars and how open-minded and eager to get to know me. The same goes for me, too, because listening to their stories is amazing. Moving on to the serious part, my duties include basically everything a waitress could deal with at a pub such as serving customers, bringing food out, clearing tables, polishing glasses and the cutlery, tapping ales and beer, handling the till and so on. In conclusion, I feel extremely lucky working here in such a fantastic atmosphere and I couldn't be more delighted. I swear, I wake up with a smile on my face in the mornings since I don't mind going to work at all. I do hope, I'll find a job as enjoyable as this one in the future, too.

Work experience in The Charles Dickens by Fruzsina Balázs

I can say I am pretty lucky with my workplace since I got the job I wanted and exactly where I wanted.  I am working in the Charles Dickens restaurant and pub which is really well known here. It is located just in the seafront so I guess it is not needed to deeply discribe the view. This may brings a lot of guest in but don't forget about all the programs they organise. It is not suprising why it is so popular. They are always full even on Christmas. Working there is such a pleasure. I have never thought I am going to like my job as much as this. The staff is so lovely and helpful. On my first days they were patient and understanding. Just from the beginning we have been talking a lot and it was fantastic to see how interested they were and wanted to get to know me. There is never a dull moment with them.  My job is quite easy. Being a waitress is not hard since I have experience in it. But talking with the guests and making a relationship between us are my favourites. It is always good putting people in good mood, getting to know them and all these things. It is so funny that already plenty of them recognize me and smile at me when I give them their drink or food.  All in considered, I really like my job and could not be happier with it.  I am glad I am working for Charles Dickens and lucky to have the opportunity to meet all these people in the staff. They even asked me to come back after school and work for them. I seriously will think it over. 

Work experience in Marks&Spencer Food hall by Flóri, Marci

"My work placement is Marks and Spencer. Which is a big supermarket near to Broadstairs at Westwood Cross. It's really different from the Hungarian one it has more sections just like food, beauty, men's wear women's wear, cafè and kid's wear. I work at the food hall with Marci and our job is to refill the shelves with products which are out of stock. At first it was hard to understand the people, but after the second day i got used to their speed and accent and now we can help them too, because we know where are the products they search. We work 5 hours every day, but we have a one hour lunch break. I like to work here, there's only one thing I miss the music."

"My work experience takes place in Marks and Spencer, it's a bit different from the Hungarian store, because it's much larger and has a lot more departments. Clothing, Beauty,Gifts, Cafetaria and Foods. I work in the food department with Flórián. We usually have to fill up the shelves from green trays and sort them by date, or tidy up the shelves. At the beginning it was quite difficult, but after the first few days, we knew where we can find most of the things and with that knowledge we could, help some costumers out. I personally like the place, because it's relaxed and easy. The only problem for me is that it's quite cold in the shop."

Work experience in HobbyCrarft by Anna Major

I have work experience in HobbyCraft. It is a huge craft store in Westwood Cross. They sell craft tools, models, clay, paints, fabric, knitting tools, books, patterns, toys and a lot of decorations for Christmas. I work from 10 until 15 and I have a lunch break from 12.30 until 13.00. I usually help tidying and filling the shelves. I also help people finding what they are looking for. The managers and collegues are very kind and patient. The custumers are fairly patient and tolerant. I really enjoy working here.

Work experience in B&M Store by Jenni, Kriszti, Szandy

We work in the B&M Store at Westwood Cross. This shop is one of the leading variety retailers in the UK. They mainly sell foods, drinks, household supplies and toys. The customers' age is different, they're mainly middle-aged people and they usually come with their children, but there are elderly people as well. We work here from 10.00am to 15.00pm and we always work together. Our duties are packing out and moving the products. We also help customers when they can't find something. Sometimes it is really hard, because they ask it with the product's brand. But the more time we spend here, it is getting easier because when we adjust the shelves, we get know the products' names. 

Work experience at Cramptons by Szabó Dani

So this is my place where I'm doing my work experience for three weeks. This is a bar and restaurant in the heart of Broadstairs. The inside is modern with some rustic elements. The place is not really busy during my shift. It's more situated to night parties. During the day you could choose from several foods from the menu and several drinks from the drink sheet. They also have a meal deal for 5 pounds which includes a soup or a garlic bread and one main dish. I think this is a really great value especially in England. The staff is also really kind and friendly here. They are helping me out a lot. I really like working here and also it's not a new thing to me because I used to work in my fathers restaurant back in Hungary. All in all it's a pretty good place to eat because the quality and the quantity of the food is great, the staff is magnificent and they have a very wide range of drinks here.

Sandwich and Richborough Roman fort by Szandy

Our first destination was Sandwich which still remained as a medieval town named after an English man, Lord Sandwich, and who created the original sandwich. We went by train but unfortunately we had to change to an other train in Ramsgate. It took altogether 30 minutes. Firstly we stopped at the remains of a harbour. It's called Wandsum Channel and until the 16th century it was the busiest harbour in England. After that we saw 2 churches but unfortunately they were closed so we couldn't go in. Later we went to the city hall. There was a city hall museum. We had a bit free time. I tasted the typical sandwich of Sandwich and it was fantastic and cheap. After that we had a 45 minutes walk to the remains of Richborough Roman fort. There are some remains of walls higher than me. Luckily we had fantastic weather. It was a bit tiring but I enjoyed it. I took a lot of pictures and it was a beautiful day.

Trip to London, 15th October by Dani Szabó

On Saturday our little group visited London. First we had a walk at Greenwich park, after that we went into the observatory to see the awesome exhibition about time measuring. At 12 o'clock we caught a boat and had a trip down the River Thames. We saw a lot of magnificent sights during our trip. For example the Tower Bridge which was huge and beautiful, the Tower, the Houses of parliament, the Big Ben which was named after the bell in it and the HMS Belfast. My personal favourite was the HMS Belfast, because it was a huge battleship with some cool canons, and I really like battleships. HMS Belfast also had operations during the Cold war. When we got off the boat we had a walk at St. James's Park and after the walk we saw the one and only Buckingham Palace which was mind-blowing. Then our last stop was Trafalgar Square where I met one of my best friends who currently lives in London. We had some free time at Trafalgar Square to explore the nearby attractions and after that we travelled back to Broadstairs.

Games Night by Adrienn Ardai

On the second week, Thursday’s evening programme was the Games Night. It was at K.S.E. It started at 8 pm, and Steve showed us the games. We could play with Wii. This is a videogame console by Nintendo. There are many different games on it. We played with Just Dance game, so we danced a lot. The first dance was Steve’s and mine. In the beginning it was difficult, but funny and exciting. Many, many videos and pictures were made. Beside this, we could also play Jenga, Twister and make friendship bracelets. Mostly the girls, but some boys tried to make a bracelet as well. Steve showed us how to make these and helped us. It was a really, really great evening again, everybody enjoyed it!

On the video we can see that not everyone managed to follow the dance…(In fact, nobody)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glHylN2A3VE

Cinema nights by Adrienn Ardai

Cinema nights

Last Friday’s and this Wednesday’s evening programme was a movie night. The meeting was at 19.30 on Vere Road. 4 of us were late, so the bus left them there. But later it went back for them. The cinema is not the same as in Hungary. It was smaller, in the snack bar there were less products. There weren’t popcorn and nachos. In the whole building, there was a strange smell. But the chairs were more comfortable, and in the end of the film, people applauded it. In Hungary it is not usual. The first film was Inferno, an action film, with Tom Hanks. It was really exciting for me. Directed by Ron Howard. The second film was Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Directed by Tim Burton. It was also a really great film. It was fabulous. These evening  programmes are always fun and bring us together.

At school and afternoon presentation by an entrepreneur - Szandy Kiss

13th of October 2016

Today we had class with Pete in the morning. We dealt with making complaints, talked about surviving in a moated island and about technology. We had some interesting exercises e.g. find pictures' pairs and find out a story for it. We usually have a long lunch break at 12:15. After this break we did something different. We had to think about questions for a businessman because at about half past 3 we met one called Bill. He and his wife run a really successful bed and breakfast hotel here in Broadstairs. He bought an old house near the coast and he refurbished it. It was opened in 2005 and in the first year they had absolutely no profit. They were in the red. They had to advertise themselves which was again a huge cost. But they could do it. Nowadays they have 5 employees who are the best. The 5 employees do the housework. His wife cooks and he does the paperwork. Originally they had 4 stars plus Silver Award but it cost too much so they cancelled the title. They are really successful because their breakfast is totally homemade and they have average prices. 

I think it was an exciting presentation. I've never thought that somebody can make a really successful business from scratch.

Some photos about us preparing visuals for our presentations.

Teachers in Broadstairs

We arrived at Stansted Airport, London on 9th October. The same day we visited Cambridge (in this city we can find one of the most famous universities in the world), where we took a boat trip on the River Cam and enjoyed the beauty of the medieval city. On the river Mr. Módos tried to push the boat forward with the help of a long pole, and he was doing this very confidently. Like a real Venetian boatman. We arrived in Broadstairs in the evening, where our host families were waiting for us, and we started to test our language knowledge.

Monday was our first day at Kent School of English. (School starts at nine o’clock – oops!)  Here we wrote a placement test, so on Tuesday we continued our studies in new groups where we had the chance of meeting colleagues from Italy and France. Our excellent teachers were not only well-prepared, but friendly and helpful from the first day. They gave us interesting, useful and challenging exercises. They praised us every time, and it was a very pleasant feeling. (It is a big edification for the teachers!)

In the afternoons we explored Broadstairs and the surrounding areas. We had long walks on the coast, visited the very exotic Powell Cotton Museum (he was a world traveller British aristocrat), the world famous cathedral of Canterbury (where Thomas Beckett was murdered – it is an important historic lesson!) and a local secondary school, which was really amazing very well-equipped and has six football pitches for example. WE had the opportunity to observe lessons and compare methods and the curricula. Our focus was on the Economics lessons and it was very interesting to discuss the different aspects of teaching entrepreneurship and marketing.

In the evenings we relaxed a bit in some characteristic British pubs (of course just the adults!), played bowling, sang in a church, or went to watch a movie, and naturally we built relationships with our hosts and other teachers from around Europe. (For dinner our host families served us some typical and delicious British dishes, like shepherd’s pie.) During the evening activities we listened to the enthusiastic accounts of our student. They were very skilful and we were proud of them.

All in all, thanks to Mr. Gere and Mr. Módos, the two group-leaders and organisers of the whole project we had a wonderful and thought-provoking time in beautiful Broadstairs.

Powell Cotton Museum in Quex Park by Szabolcs Floarea

Being a nobleman in the late nineteenth century has its own advantages and Percy Powell-Cotton, the founder of the museum spent all his time, money and effort to collect and reserve over 60,000 individual items from all around the world.

First of all, the Quex Park. A lovely place stuffed with a bit of history. It is indeed a park with its own botanic garden containing various types of plants, cacti and trees. Also there is a fountain just next to the garden with exotic koi carp fish in it. During the visit we had a great weather, the sun was shining all the time.

Now, the main attraction is of course the museum. We first had a quick guide through the galleries and then we had some time to examine each of the galleries.

From stuffed animals through antique weapons to interactive tasks, the museum is enormous and all the collected items can be seen. The perfection of the animal wadding is extreme, especially when they are placed in an area designed as if that was those animals’ natural environment.

All in all, the museum is well worth a visit, the entry fee is not expensive, we had a very great time there and are looking forward for the rest of the programmes.