A five hour delay at Gatwick wasn’t the most auspicious start for Woodford’s inaugural visit to CERN but once on site in Geneva the visit lived up to expectations.  Girls visited the largest particle physics laboratory and learned about the influence  the Hadron Collider continues to exert on  scientists understanding of the components of matter. Perhaps the most surprising lesson that was taught during this visit was the underlying theme of international collaboration that seems to run throughout the organisations based in Geneva. This was clearly demonstrated by the use of 21 member states that make up the 10000 scientists hard at work at the CERN laboratories. Girls had a chance to speak to the scientists currently working with the colliders and strengthen their knowledge of the inner workings of particle accelerators. Whilst in Geneva they also visited the UN building and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum. It was an enlightening two days that ended with a tranquil walk around the lake in the beautiful summer weather.