11 things we ALL remember from our school tours

We knew summer holidays were finally on their way when the school tour rolled around. It was by far the highlight of our school careers. From going fun places to getting to spend a carefree day with our friends, we all have a favourite memory from these magical days.

Here are some of the best things we remember from our school tours:

1. No uniform

We spent days looking through our wardrobes (and our sisters!) to find the perfect outfit, we didn't care if we were going to have to trek through a muddy field, we were going to wear our favourite dress!

2. Fancy lunches

School tours were not a day for soggy ham and cheese sandwiches, no, school tours were a day for chicken and coleslaw rolls, or better yet, money to buy lunch when we were there.

3. Choosing a seat on the bus

We had made a deal with our best friend weeks in advance to sit together on the bus or to get there early to nab the elusive back seat. And then we cursed the teachers that picked our partners for us.

4. Museums

We were brought to a few museums throughout our school years. I wonder if the teachers knew we stopped listening after the first few exhibitions… We really liked the gift shop though!

5. Getting phone credit

Whether it was our first phone that we got for our 11th birthday or an old one of our mums that she dug out of a drawer for the occasion, the school tour was the only time of the year we got a fivers credit bought for us. "What if I get lost?"

6. Crisps

Crisps were banned from most schools, but on school tours, this rule went out the window. We ate packets upon packets of Tayto and tried to trade whatever we had with that one lucky person that got Pringles.

7. Getting to buy sweets without parental supervision

Brain Lickers, gobstoppers, chewy bars – the world was full of delicious, sticky treats that our parents said would rot our teeth, so on the school tour we bought as many as we could. The taste was totally worth the pain in the jaw!

8. Buying presents- for everyone

We weren't used to having much on an expendable income, so when our parents gave us a few quid spending money we went a bit crazy. We bought presents for our parents, our grandparents, even our little brother that we usually wouldn't even share our sweets with. You'd think we had been in Spain for a week instead of the zoo.

9. Going to a farm

Whether you lived in the middle of Dublin or somewhere more rural, there was always at least one tour of a farm. If you were lucky it was a 'petting farm' where you got to hold bunnies and pet goats.

10. The sixth class tour

The sixth class tour was the one we looked forward to the most, it was always somewhere more grown up and fun like surfing or some kind of adventure centre.

11. Going abroad

We heard the rumours from all throughout primary school; that when we got to secondary school the tours would be to other countries. And when we got there we weren't let down, although they were more pricey and restricted to first come, first served so we didn't always get to go.