The Business and Economics trip to a snowy, freezing Czech Republic at half term was dominated by visits to manufacturing firms. The students visited TPCA, a joint venture between Toyota and Peugeot-Citroen and were treated to a tour of the factory while sat in an electric-powered train!  That was followed by a tour of Skoda, now owned by Volkswagen, where we had the opportunity to sit in the newest car models.  The next day we visited Ruckl to see Bohemian hand-crafted crystal being produced, a truly memorable experience, then it was off for lunch in the cellar restaurant of the Pilsner Urquell brewery, followed by a tour of the brewing process, including a walk through the limestone caves where some of the fermenation process takes place.  The action-packed trip ended with a visit to the Museum of Communism in Prague. 

David Miller