Hyman travel award
A couple of years ago when I was back in sixth form, my school offered two travel bursaries allowing small groups of teenagers to go anywhere in the world provided they submitted an anonymous proposal to be reviewed by the committee in charge of the money. The bursary was a prize of £500 for each person, but the catch was it had to be related to the subjects you were taking for A Levels. So, educational.

We were told of this wondrous prize back in November, but being lazy sixth formers we forgot about it until the day before the deadline - February. Suddenly spurred on by the news that our bitter rival Laura (the bitch) was submitting a proposal to somewhere like Rome, we thought we'd go one better.

Cue a mad evening trying to plan itineraries, suggest sample flight costs and budget proposals, us four girls managed to clobber together a wordy project that miraculously combined some of our studies: French, English, Media, Psychology, Photography etc... (our school/sixth form was a bit crap, obviously).

So, we handed it in all slap-dash and tried not to think about Laura winning the money. Commemmoration Evening (think Founders Day/Prizegiving) arrives and we eagerly await the announcement of the Hyman (fnar fnar) travel bursary. Never thinking we'd be in with a chance, considering as Laura had started her proposal the very day it was suggested, I can remember having the biggest, most ridiculous smile on my face as the headmaster read out the winning destination: New York...

So, 6 months later, when one of us was 18, off we went. We had flights, accommodation and spending money courtesy of Mr Hyman. Our amazingly convincing proposal allowed us to take helicopter rides, visit Macy's, ascend the Empire State building at night and just generally play in New York City at the age of 17.

All thanks to some pretty pictures, my use of the words 'gastronomical delights' and plenty of glitter. And Laura hasn't spoken to me since. Score.
(meowmix is a voodoo child, Thu 13 Aug 2009, 22:14, 3 replies)

Not to doubt
this highly dubious story but 500 quid for a tour to New York with flights and helicopters included, when was this 1924?
(bad_advice QOTW survivor from the first trollocost!, Fri 14 Aug 2009, 3:29, closed)

Hmm
Miraculously we did manage to do it. £500 each managed to cover a cheap(ish) flight and some cheap accommodation. Does sound dubious I admit, but I have some of the most embarrassing photos at my disposal...]:
(meowmix is a voodoo child, Fri 14 Aug 2009, 10:14, closed)

POIDH
Well, I actually believe this one as is, but yeah.

Poast piccies!
(Scritty Bakerman., Sat 15 Aug 2009, 9:13, closed)