Day Tripper!!

Hi everyone!

I was lucky enough recently to take some of my students to the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester.

It was a lovely spring day, lots and lots of warm spring sunshine!  As we parked the mini bus this lovely mural greeted us:

The students were amazed at the rather funky looking sky scraper just accross the way from the museum:

We were mind-boggled by these art works created by a robot - reminded me of Spirograph (I used to love that!!)

And loved this TV - reminded us of the WonkaVision TV in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory!!

Then just as I thought I had done really well recently using finer yarn to crochet with we came accross this - can you guess what the "fabric" is made of?

the fabric was made up into this ultra fine garment:

We couldnt believe our eyes when we read the information sign...

Absolutely amazing - imagine the skill, not to mention the patience needed to make such a thing!!

I just loved the fact that there is so much beauty and craft in a science museum!  The students loved it, many of them hadnt been to a museum before, which is a shame as they are aged 16-19.  All agreed that science could be interesting and fun! 

The museum backs onto Granada Studios where Coronation Street is filmd.  Sadly the set is no longer open to visitors (it used to be a brilliant day out I remember going there in the late 80s/early 90s) so this signed copy of a Corrie script had to do:

all in all a very successful trip - the young people were a credit to themselves and us.  So what you may ask?  Well, my students are usually labelled as the "most challenging" of young people, many have left school, well shall we just say, under a cloud?  We really are the last chance of gaining education for many of them.  So we see all the challenges, the negative behaviour, the problems etc.  But, once we have been with them for a while, given them due TLC (Tough Loving Care as well as Tender Loving Care!) most will actually blossom into hard working young people who are reaching towards a brighter future.  And just to hear them saying that they will always remember the day they went out with us is just fantastic.

The museum is well worth a visit and the best thing is, its free!  So if you are around the Manchester area over the hols, and you have young kids/teenagers, give it a go!

Helenxx