There are many things Norwich does well.

Food, literature, architecture, gin distilling – or indeed producing alcohol in general.

As an outsider I have also come to learn that school trips seem to fall into that category as well.

Chatting to colleagues and neighbours has revealed that trips here in Norfolk are really quite extraordinary.

Norwich Castle seems like a standard one to go to, as does Norwich Cathedral.

They’re a pretty spectacular benchmark.

Then it appears that kids go on geography trips to the beach, biology visits to Thetford Forest and history days at Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse.

This apparently is also to be expected.

I’m reliably informed that trips to London, France and theme parks are also on offer based on merits.

My school trips in Nottingham were … nowhere near that good.

Our school trip was a walk around Goose Fair – which is a large travelling funfair – when we were told we couldn’t go on any rides, buy anything, or take any money for fear of us getting mugged.

Instead we were instructed to note down the price of candy floss – it was never made clear why – and told absolutely NOT to touch the pet owl one ride owner had on his shoulder because it bit a kid the year before.

We also used to go to Nottingham Castle but just walk around the outside because it was too expensive to go in.

Chatting to people who grew up here it seems we all have a case of the grass being greener.

Norfolk people think Goose Fair sounds like a hoot, meanwhile at the age of nine I would have sold my younger sister for a trip to the beach.

With a cost of living crisis on our hands, free trips on schools might be the best break many kids are going to get.

I suspect Norfolk kids will fondly look back on such days and we should fight to protect such memories.