Upper Sixth girls studying English had a rewarding visit to the Cheltenham Literary Festival on Saturday 8 October 2011. Jeremy Paxman gave an enlightening, if characteristically opinionated, talk on the British Empire upon which the girls took copious notes. Later, head girl Rafaela Elliston put the author John Sutherland on the spot with a perceptive question about 'Middlemarch'. The third and final talk on deathbed scenes in novels was a winner and had everyone pondering over their particular favourites. Miss Williams and Mrs Oakley accompanied this visit to Gloucestershire.