Many years ago the school had been the country estate of the Camford family whose ancestors had originally had the house built in the 1500's. It was set in beautifully landscaped grounds surrounded by countryside. The pupils were considered very fortunate as they had the use of every facility they could ever want - an indoor swimming pool, gymnasium, tennis courts, rugby and football pitches and even stables where they could ride horses whenever they wished during their free time. It cost Thomas' parents a great deal of money to send him there. In a year's time when she would be nine, Olivia would also be returning to England to attend a private school. Thomas only ever saw his sister during holidays from school, which suited him fine as, being nearly fourteen, he found her a bit of a pest, but he did feel rather jealous that she had their parents all to herself.

Miss Johnson had brought him back to reality. It was the last week of term and the class was in the midst of a history lesson. Thomas didn't like history at all. Personally, he couldn't see the point of learning about what had been and gone, he preferred sports and anything to do with computers, especially computer games. He didn't care much for Miss Johnson either. She looked as if she had walked out of the "mists of time" herself, very stiff and starchy with dark hair pulled back tightly into a bun on the back of her head, rather like a picture of a Victorian schoolmistress he had seen in one of his history books.

The rest of the first four chapters of this story have been moved to Time Slip 1600 by Sue Lines