My Close Friend Ahmad, by Arslan Gadzhilova

Ahmad has been my close friend for four months. I met him at school. We started to speak in class and talked about “why he came to the UK”. We have been in same class. We study very well.

Ahmad is average height and slim, dark skin and black hair. He is an absolutely typical Arabic man.

Ahmad is very easy-going. He is always funny and very friendly. If somebody has problems, Ahmad can help how he can, also, he is a sympathetic man.

Ahmad is very crazy about motorcycles and likes listening to music such as R‘n’B, Hip-Hop, Rap…. He is not a lover of sport, however, he likes doing gymnastic sometimes.

I am happy to have Ahmad as my friend and I really enjoy spending free time with him and his company. I think we will be close friends for ever.

Tour of Bristol with Pirate Pete, by Marie-Fleur and Valentin

http://www.piratewalks.co.uk/ On a sunny Wednesday afternoon in August we met Pirate Pete in Millennium Square. Here you can see Ahmad holding the skull and crossbones flag, and next to him Ekaterina wearing a pirate hat borrowed from her host family. Pirate Pete is welcoming the group of about 25 students, and could often tell them a pirating story connected to their country!

"During our stay in Bristol, we visited some places of Bristol wearing pirate clothes so as to learn the past of the city. Even if we did not understand all the explanations (....) it was really interesting and our guide was so funny and managed to fascinate us with his anecdotes.

Furthermore, we won the contest for the best fancy dress (well we were the only ones dressed with pirate clothes!!): some chocolates !!!

Marie-Fleur and Valentin, two French students

Pirate Pete took us to points of pirating significance around Bristol, over Pero's Bridge (named after a slave who lived at the Georgian House just off Park Street), on to John Cabot's statue, then to the place they used to drown pirates, the White Slaves Wharf, and on to the Ostrich Quays with the paths from the pub through the Redcliffe Caves. We learnt so much about the secret history of Bristol! We ended up at the inpiration for Treasure Island's 'Spy Glass Inn' where we presented the best-dressed pirates with a box of chocs!