And finally, a tremendous amount of work goes into the Summer School, so a few thank yous are in order.

First, thanks to the sponsors of the Summer School, EDF Energy, A4e and National Express East Coast Line.

A huge number of people gave up their time. Because the Summer School deals with people at the top of their profession, this time is not easily spared. So, huge thank yous to: Simon Ashwell, Mary Brockbank, Tim Vine, Alex Fairhurst, The Rt. Hon Michael Martin MP, Nicola Harland, Malcolm Wicks MP, Madeline Hallward, Frances Williamson, Peter Kocen, Rebekah Phillips, Gloria De Piero, Ravi Vadgama, Raj Jethwa, Shabana Marshall, Karen Pollock, Sara McKee, Yvonne Hall, Aidan Relf, Jon Trigg, Michael Glenn, Shaninga Marasha, Will McDonald, Maria Shah, The Rt. Hon Yvette Cooper MP, the Rt Hon. Tessa Jowell MP, Huw Edwards, Julie King, Adam Madock, John Letizia, Angela Knight and Alan Hyde.

Thanks too to the school staff who came on the trip, those staff who supported them and the Nottinghamshire Environmental Resources Unit.

The last group who need thanking are the students themselves. Throughout the school they have disposed themselves excellently, asking intelligant questions, behaving sensibly and professionally, and representing their community fantastically well.

The school simply would not be the same without any of you - thank you.

Our final session is at the British Bakers Association in the heart of the City of London. After a quick lunch Angela Knight, Chief Executive of the BBA, spoke to the students about being female and from Sheffield, and working in the City.

After the early start, we had a quick stop off at St Paul's Catherdral. For those of you who like trivia, the church origionally on the site of St Paul's was known as East Minster, with Westminster (i.e. modern day Parliament) to the west, and London imbetween. So don't say we never teach you anything.

A bright and early start saw the Bassetlaw Citizenship Summer School start their final day with a tour of the Olympic Park. Two busses met us at Stratford Tube Station ready to take us around the park.

One of the first things that you notice is the scale of the site - it really is immense. Signs remind workers to stay safe ('If it isn't safe, don't do it! And don't let your collegues do it either!'). The site even has it's own occupational health and training centres to look after employees.

With four years to go, it's unsurprsing that the area looks like a building site - mounds of mud everywhere. But much of this mud is, or was, contaminated, and is cleaned in four hugh 'washing machines'. The bus passed the 'bowl', where the main Olympic Stadium is going to be based, and the Aquatics Centre, which work is starting on three months early today.

Best still, Tessa Jowell MP, the Minister for the Olympics, stopped off to say hello (pictured).

The Olympic's own London 2012 blog is well worth a look.

Wednesday evening is time for the Formal Meal. Everyone had extra time at the Youth Hostel to spruce up, the girls put on their dresses and evevryone sneaked in a little extra rehearsal for their budget presentations.

After a (soft) drinks reception and an excellent three course meal in the very glitzy Belvedere Resturant in Holland Park, it was time for the Students to present their budgets. Each of the four groups used their time to try and convince the three judges (John Mann and two representatives from A4e) that their project was the best use of their budget. Absolutely everyone participated.

The Judges, as well as everyone at A4e and all the staff, were hugely impressed with the way everyone contributed, the excellent ideas and the confident delivery of the projects.

After the presentations, John Mann said a big thank you to all the young people, all the staff from the schools, all those who held (and are still going to hold!) sessions, and the sponsors of the school, EDF, A4e and National Express East Coast.

And John also invited all the students to stay in touch with him. John announced plans to put together a group of young people in Bassetlaw who will work to bring an Olympic Legacy to our area. John had also mentioned this in his Worksop Guardian article last week, and any one who wants to be involved should contact John's office on 01909 506 200.

This was a fantaistic evening, and one well deserved by the students who have been working incredibly hard all week. But we're not quite finished yet...

Time for Her Majesty's Treasury. After a brisk walk down Whitehall (seeing Hourse Guards Parade, Number 10, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office) we arrived at the Treasury. Sitting in the Treasury Boardroom, A4e, an international public service provider set the students their task, to write the budget for a Government department.

After lunch, the Holocaust Educational Trust worked with the students on what it means to live in a democracy. In particular they looked at the importance of our democracy, and how it is possible to influence and lobby Government in this country.

Just a hop and skip away on the Tube and we were in Congress House, home of the Trade Union Congress (TUC). The students worked in groups to discuss the role and work of the unions.

What better way to start the morning than a trip to the home of good mornings, GMTV. Gloria De Piero, Political Corrospondent for GMTV, and Producer Ravi Vadgama met us at reception to take us around the London Studios.

After a brief glimpse at the studio where, among others, Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway and the Sunday Night Project are filmed, it was up to the GMTV set itself.

We were all surprised by quite how small the studio was, with the weather 'green screen' only a few metres away from the sofa, on the opposite wall. Kate Garraway (pictured) even came in to say a few words to us.

Afterwards, it was down to Studio 5 for an excellent session on reporting and the media - the students even got the chance to act as corrospondents them selves.

After a busy two days, the students had some well deserved time off in Covent Garden. Walking up Whitehall, past Trafalgar Square and up to the world famous market and cultural centre.

After lunch it was time for the Select Committee. After a brief session from the Parliament Education Unit on the work of select committees, the students split into groups to think up questions for their witnesses. With minimal guidence from teachers, the students nominated members from each group to ask questions of Malcolm Wicks MP (the Minister with responsibility for Energy Policy), Madeline Hallward and Frances Williamson from the Energy Retail Association and Rebekah Phillips from the Green Alliance.

The students' questions were inciteful, interesting, provoktive and thoughtful - they did Bassetlaw proud.

Many thanks to everyone who helped with the Select Committee.

A very rare treat, the School next visited Mister Speaker, the Rt Hon. Michael Martin MP, in his residence. He welcomed the students to Parliament and told them about his role as Speaker of the House of Commons. He told the group "MPs like me and John, we will move on, and it is important that you know you are the next generation. There's a lot of bad things in the press about politicians, but there really is an imense sense of satisfaction in working for your community". He also told the group that they weren't to listen to those who say only Oxbridge types can become an MP, recounting his own humble beginnings.

After Michael had to move on (to get ready for the Speaker's Parade) the group had a quick look around the dining room and bedroom (not the Speaker's actual bedroom, but the dining room-with four poster bed-where Royals once slept before their corronations. And the Speaker even left the students a little gift!

Photos aren't allowed in most of the Palace of Westminster, but the House of Commons Terrace is one of the few exceptions. You can see Lambeth Palace in the background.

Parliament Day, and after a slight debacle on the Tube, everyone arrives safely and in time for their tours. Valley got a particularly speedy rendition-starting off last but somehow overtaking everyone else to finish first. Nevertheless, John came back in time to catch all the groups and show them around the House of Commons Chamber, before taking the everyone down to the Crypt, the pre-Victorian and exuberently decorated Chapel of Saint Mary of Undercroft.

After splitting up into school groups for dinner along the Southbank, it's theatre time. We had standing tickets for Shakespeare's Globe. The performance here was fantastic, a genuinly funny production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. We had a few late comers, but everyone enjoyed the show, although they possibly enjoyed the well needed sit down at half time more.

Afterwards it was off to the Tube and back to the Youth Hostel for a well deserved first-night's sleep.

A quick tube journey and brief walk later, and we're at the Premier League Boardroom. Here Alex Fairhurst gave us an overview of the excellent work that the Football Foundation do (including helping Bassetlaw to Brazil). The session explored funding for grass roots sports projects.

Anyone interested in applying for funding, including the very popular sports kit scheme, should visit the Football Foundation's website: www.footballfoundation.org.uk.

This was followed by a presentation from Tim Vine, Head of Public Relations at the Premier League. Tim is particularly involved in getting Premier League footballers to do work in their communities. They spend about £125 million on this every year, an amount equal to their total turnover just 10 years ago.

More infomation on the Premier League can be found on their website: www.premierleague.com

After dumping luggage and a quick lunch at the youth hostel, it was time to go to Parliament. We met John Mann at the enterance to Westminster Hall, the huge 11th century building still used (occasionally) for lying in state and big speeches. We then made our way to Central Lobby in time to see the Speaker's Parade.

The parade largely consists of someone shouting 'SPEEEAKERRR' and then 'HATS OFF STRANGERS!' before the Speaker and cohort solumly walk through central lobby and into the Chamber.

Tickets in hand, we followed to the public gallery to sit behind the large glass screen that has been up ever since the 'purple powder' incident a few years ago. Question 12 was John's.

Outside of questions, it was time to move on. But first a pit stop was made with Simon Mares from ITV, who was waiting for us outside the Palace and did a series of interviews, on knife crime and on the Summer School (happily two unrelated subjects). These will hopefully be on Central tonight and tomorrow, and might come up on the ITV local news website, (please note this link will open a new window) www.itvlocal.com/

UPDATE 15/07/2008 You can read about John Mann's Question Online.

The Bassetlaw Citizenship Summer School 2008 has properly started with the students arriving safely in Kings Cross, London. After a quick change into professional gear on Retford Station, everyone was ready to get going.

John Mann's 2008 Citizenship Summer School kicked off today with a 'pre-visit' to West Burton and Cottam power stations. Despite dreary weather the students donned appropiate proectective clothing before being given a tour of the industrial sites.

After their chance to see heavy industry in action the students returned to a lunch, kindly put on for them by EDF, before discussing modern power generation. They were also given a brief to discuss before their opportunity to interrogate Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks MP next Tuesday.

We'll have some photos of the trip coming to the Summer School Gallery Page soon, so watch this space!