Ultimate Big Apple
New York, New York… so good they named it twice. 26 Senior
Section members enjoyed seven dynamic days in the most exciting
city on the planet.
FRIDAY 19 DECEMBER 2009
Went to the pinnacle of the Rockefella centre
today known as ‘Top of the Rock’. The views were amazing and
it was great to see the whole of New York from a different
perspective.
The view today being a completely different
one from the view from the Empire State Building ass we were able
to see New York in daylight.
The observation deck visit was followed by a
tour of the other building that make up the Rockefella Centre and
we saw some beautiful art and architecture.
Rhiannon Morgan and Sophie
Sherratt – Gloucestershire and Morag
Kennedy – Newcastleton, Scotland.
It was a day of laughter, sweat and
determination. We arrived at the Manhattan Theatre Club in a fleet
of Yellow Taxis to commence our Broadway Musical Workshop. We
had our own personal Bob Fosse style movement workshop from a dance
coach that has worked on Broadway hit musicals, including
Chicago! We also learnt to sing with a vocal coach / musician
who had many hats.
In the two hour workshop everyone learnt a
musical number that was quirky and allowed us to shine. A
fantastic mountain top moment for any Guide, but personally for me,
as I’m at a loss to describe it.
Bex Beadle – Lincolnshire
A new generation of musical stars were
born!
Vicky Warnden and Anna Steele
– Derbyshire and Adele Lynch – Cleveland.
Ellen’s Stardust Diner aka the gur show!
We were served by aspiring Broadway performers and serenaded by a
variety of show stopping tunes from ‘Chapel of Love’ to the U2
classic ‘With or without you’.
The 50s retro all American diner definitely
had the WOW factor, with a couple of rather delicious and fit
waiters who obliged us by posing for photos as they sang.
10/10 and definitely the x-factor!
Becci Highton –
Gloucestershire and Debbie Coutts – Perth and
Kinross, Scotland.
Saturday evening we went to Broadway and
discovered we had orchestra seats to see Chicago starring Ashley
Simponson-Wentz. The singing, dancing and acting was amazing
and you could hear all of us joining in singing ‘Me and My Baby’
which we’d learnt earlier at the workshop. We came out of the
theatre to several inches of snow! What a perfect end to a
magical day.
Laura Revell - Framlington,
Suffolk
The greatly anticipated snow definitely
came. New York being transformed into a winter wonderland
where Times Square was a very different place that we had seen
previously! Children and adults alike playing in the middle
of the road.
On returning to our hotel several of our group
went onto the roof and made snow angles in the virgin snow.
Another magical experience. .. a memory that will stay with me
forever.
Crystal Hughes – Kings Norton, Birmingham.
FRIDAY 18 DECEMBER 2009
A more sobering day today to appreciate the
historic side of the city, beginning with a trip around the harbour
on the Staten Island Ferry to see the Statue of Liberty.
Then to Ground Zero, where we initially
entered St Paul’s Church, what had been the sanctuary to workers at
the scene – a place to sleep, eat, share and recuperate from the
stresses that the recovery workers must have been faced, and where
volunteers could give of themselves in the crisis. We felt it
only fitting to pay our respects to those that had perished by
leaving British Legion Remembrance crosses. After walking
around the perimeter of the site where the rebuilding of the
Freedom Tower is now well under way, we went a vantage point where
we could get a better view of where the World Trade Centres had
once stood.
Jayne Power – Lead UNYA
The whole world are aware of the tragedy of
9/11, but our visit today brought us closer to the hard work the
rescue teams put in after that fateful day.
Everyone if asked can remember what and where
they were on Tuesday 9th September 2001. For me I
discovered the news whilst with my Ranger Leader, a fact that
seemed the more poignant today as I was again with Senior Section
members.
Our emotions and appreciation changed during
our visit next to the Ground Zero Museum Workshop, a memorable and
moving experience. Gary Marlon Suson’s photography really
made the event of 9/11 more real to me and connected people to the
disaster. A sombre and important experience where the whole
group were moved to tears!
It clearly depicted how the recovery operation
had been carried out with pride and dignity for those that had
fallen deserved. The artefacts that are available to touch
and relate to have been important to people needing the healing
process and a connection with events. Personal stories for
each photograph or artefact in a room no bigger that a sitting
room. Suson’s 9 months of work at Ground Zero has made his message
clear – ‘Never Forget’
Heather Kennedy – Scotland
and Natalie Hone – Kent
We made it back to our hotel just in time to
be collected for the Holiday Lights tour – a three hour guided
journey to view all the glittering lights of the holiday season in
Manhattan. The shop windows were dressed so intricately and
beautifully, telling of many festive stories.
“Bubba is my best friend”… Dinner at Bubba
Gumps Shrimp Company in Times Square is based on the film of
Forrest Gump and we loved the place! Shrimp being the order
of the day of course. Then the experience of trying to hail
yellow taxis, which was easier said than done with 29 of us!
Adele Lynch -
Cleveland
THURSDAY 17th DECEMBER 2009
When people think of visiting New York they probably think of
shopping, bright lights and Starbucks? Few people realise
that New York is the home to the United Nations Headquarters and
that it is open to the public for tours.
Once through security and having been asked to quieten down, by
security - Oops! The group was taken on a guided tour of the admin
building. The building itself is home to the many gifts that
the UN has received from some of its member countries. They
range from model landscapes carved out of ivory to stunning
tapestry pieces that stand over 10 feet tall. Each gift is
beautifully presented and has its own unique story.
Personally, the highlight of the tour was
walking into the General Assembly Chamber where the members of the
192 countries gather for debates and conferences. It may seem
to some people just a big room with lots of chairs but to me it
signified the true meaning of team work to achieve change. In
that room 192 countries put aside their religious, political and
personal differences in order to give equal opportunities to every
individual.
Debbie Coutts – Perth and Kinloss.
Following the official tour we had also made arrangements to
meet the WAGGGS team who work with the UN to come along and explain
their role. It was incredibly informative and inspiring to the
participants avidly listening. So moved were they that each
made a donation and we gave enough cash to cover a Unicef Save a
School box to enable children the right to an education in areas of
most need. Some of the young women will now go away and look
into using the WAGGGS Millennium Development Goals as a programme
to use with their sections as well as being inspired to apply to
join the Young Women’s World Forum.
Jayne Power – Lead UNYA
Possibly the most famous toy store in New York, located on
5th Avenue near Central Park and the Plaza Hotel, FAO
Swartz was our shopping heaven for the afternoon.
When we entered we had the choice of 3 floors
but our first task was to brave the giant piano – as seen in
‘Hitch’. Although there were only 5 year old children on it at the
time, we braved the sniggers of the crowd to tap out a not so
tuneful tune with our feet while the others in our group looked on
laughing.
The toy shop had everything you could want
from sweets to smurfs, dolls and jigsaws and after we had made our
purchases, all that was left to do was to get out pictures taken
with the famous doorman and head over to the next shop…
Disney!!
Adele Lynch – Cleveland
Vicky Warden – Derbyshire
Phoebe Bland – BGIFC
Morag Kennedy – Scotland
Well there was no mistaking where we had been
today, as clutched in hand were the signature ‘big brown bags’ of
Bloomingdales – some of us had more than one! Let’s hope we
can get it all back on the plane. So yes, we girls
celebrating the Centenary have definitely shopped till we
dropped… OK, the plastic ran out, but what a store - 9 floors
of luxury!
Rachel Moss - Dudley
My best bit of today was going to Dylan’s Candy Store to
celebrate my 15th birthday with pizza and soda. We played
some party games including musical chairs and a special candy
game. A multi-coloured cake arrived and I blew out the
candles and made a wish to a tuneful ‘Happy Birthday’. Before
we left, the last thing was a candy spree in the store to collect
party favours. This has been the best birthday ever, one I
will never forget – thank you everyone!
Molly Clare – Lancashire
Our celebrations extended, of course, to the Centenary Party –
where we all felt it was our birthday – although we don’t feel 100,
our collective ages might come in much older than that!
WEDNESDAY 16 DECEMBER 2009
Not so long ago New York City’s Mayor decided
that stress levels needed to be reduced and therefore arranged for
purpose built public spaces to be built, in order to relax the
people. There is one of these spaces opposite our hotel called
‘Greenacre Park’ it is a small pocket of a peaceful paradise
juxtaposed against the fast paced city.
Our first stop of our tour took us to St
Patrick’s Cathedral. Its spectacular interior was not
dissimilar to that of Lincoln Cathedral back in the UK. Built
in the 1880s it was the only thing for miles around until the
Rock. Speaking of which did you know the Christmas tree
outside the Rockefella Centre celebrated its 76th
Birthday this year. It was originally placed there for
construction workers, yet after construction finished the tradition
stayed.
We learnt so much on our tour about the
history of New York. It was all breathtaking. We saw the
Dakota and Strawberry Fields, Central Park - did you know that
Central Park is landscaped on an English Tea Garden? We also
walked around Wall Street and saw the financial districts
spectacular Christmas tree.
We pretty much saw the majority of Manhattan
Island in approximately four hours. What a fabulous way to
explore the city, with our own personal tour guide Tracey and Jack
the Reindeer!
We also had an interesting tour today of Girl
Scouts of the United States of America Headquarters on Fifth
Avenue, New York. Nine floors of personnel working for the
movement where we were shown around the inner workings and offices
of our sister organisation. We saw the bust of their founder –
Juliette Gordon Low, complete with festive wear! Spoke with
employees in different departments including Global, Programme
Development and Archives. We were fascinated by their National
Historic Preservation Centre and its artefacts, and were even shown
around the Chief Execs quarters and found a Centenary Duck sat on
Kathy Cloninger’s desk, besides her PA’s jar of Girl Scout
cookies?
We then did some serious shopping in the Girl
Scout shop, so much so that we were then a little late for our next
appointment with New York’s Skyride. A simulated helicopter flight
over the sights of the city. We then rode the elevators to the
86th floor of the Empire State Building to have the most
spectacular views of the New York lights, that it literally took
your breath away – a mountain top moment indeed.
On our departure we ‘fell’ into three awaiting
black limousines that transported us in style to our dinner
reservations at Planet Hollywood in Times Square. What a day
of explorations and discoveries!
TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2009
A day of new experiences were abound when 26
Senior Section members from all over the UK came together to share
their celebration of the Centenary in the Ultimate Big Apple
Adventure.
From the seasoned traveller who flies
frequently between Europe and the UK for school terms and holidays,
but not on a luxurious Boeing 747, to the Ranger who was
enthusiastic and apprehensive to experience her very first flight
and then get the opportunity to be welcomed into the inner sanctum
of the cockpit by the Captain and excellent British Airways flight
crew, who also announced our presence and objective to all
passengers aboard.
After checking-in to our uber trendy
boutique-style hotel, we started to explore the neighbourhood on
foot and walk the few blocks west from midtown Manhattan under the
darkening sky and into the intense lights and madness of Times
Square, where a touch of shopping was calling us, followed by
dinner at The Hard Rock Café.
Weary after a long day and in much need of
sleep we returned to ‘The Pod’ dreaming of what might be part of
the celebrations tomorrow?