Editors Note: This is an archived blog post from 6/2/2013.

With everyone safely back in Manchester and the Czech Republic letting off a collective sigh of relief, we are happy to report on the History Society’s annual trip. Aamira Challenger-Mynett writes:

“Following an amazing trip to Berlin in 2012, the History Society wanted to give this year’s members the opportunity to get to know each other and delve into a new city as a post-exam treat. The end of exams approached and 50 students got themselves ready for our trip to Prague. We piled into our double decker coach on 31^st January and set off to meet the Hockey team from Stoke who would be joining us. After a ferry and a few stops throughout France, Belgium, and Germany, we arrived in the Czech Republic for a weekend of tourist adventures.”

“Once we had settled into our rooms we were ready to hit to sights. Most spent the day exploring the Old Town and Jewish Quarter, including Prague’s most famous structures, the Astronomical Clock and the Charles Bridge. After a day of sightseeing, there was an abundance of traditional Czech restaurants to choose from, serving hog roasts, Goulash and Czech beers. 

Needless to say, we made the most of the nightlife! That evening, everyone on our trip set out on the Clock Tower Bar Crawl, resulting in hilarious photos and a good time all round. Day 2 saw the majority nursing hangovers, but a determination to make the most of the city prevailed. Many took the tram across the river and explored Prague Castle and Cathedral, as well as the old Dungeons.

By the end of the trip all we had to look forward to was a 22 hour journey back to Manchester, but we were kept entertained –somewhat reluctantly- by an American Pie marathon. 500,000 films later, we reached Calais and were soon on British soil ready to embark on the final leg of our journey. By now everyone was sleepy and spent the last 6 hours of the trip mentally preparing for a return to lectures and deadlines. However, despite the epic journey, no one was too disheartened and seemed to have come away from the trip with many good memories.

As a society, our main priority is to encourage a more sociable atmosphere for students in the History department, and Prague was certainly a success on that level. We returned home with more ‘course friends’ than before, and even gained a few honorary historians from a variety of courses and universities. We especially appreciate those who came along without knowing anyone on the trip and took advantage of the society as a social medium. The trip created some new friendships and solidified existing ones, which is more than we could have asked for.  As for next year, who knows where the society will be venturing?”