Hi sir,

Could you please put this on the blog?

Hey everyone,

Sounds like you guys are having great time over there, you'll look back on this time as being one of the best times of your life. However  as a veteran of the 2011 tour and the older brother of one of the tour members this time, I feel bound to pass on a few pieces of advice that would have helped me:

1) Watch out for Mr Boyce-Despite how he might come across, he is a very sly man. Make sure you're nowhere near him in the Sistine Chapel, he's got a bad track record there. He will not hesitate to blame someone else for his own stink especially an innocent sixth former and please do not let him tell you that St John's school in Hamilton is anything close to being in Grammar's league. 

2) Be careful when bartering-This is especially aimed at you Finn. Shaving two euro's off the price a street vendor offers for a pair of sunglasses is NOT a bargain, I can tell you that from experience.

3) Write a diary-Although it seems like a waste of time now and you'll feel like a bit of a loser doing it, afterwards you'll be really pleased that you did

4) In Florence the thing next to your toilet is not a sink for washing your clothes in, its called a bidet. Enough said.

5) Do not let Mr Buckingham choose the route if you go for a run with him. He will undoubtedly take you straight into the thickest bush he can find and he seems to consider running on actual paths as being the soft option and something only for lesser beings.

I hope this helps you out, I have to say I'm incredibly jealous of you all. Make sure you have fun over there.

Josh Lloyd (Finn's Brother)