Project 41: Britain

Project 41 was a double project/holiday: two weeks travelling around Great Britain by train with an All Line Rover ticket, from Thurso (the northern most station) to Penzance (the southern most station). Unsurprisingly there were plenty of opportunities for teachable moments along the way, whether visiting local museums, sharing a train with Prince Charles, or just looking at the objects we saw along the way. 

We visited three local museums and a gallery over the two weeks - we had planned to visit more, but the train travel didn't always go to plan. The McManus gallery and museum (www.mcmanus.co.uk) in Dundee is currently renamed the McMenace in celebration of 80 years of the Beano, and after discovering the Beano in the previous week's project on comics Solomon has been obsessed with it.  

McMenace

We visited the Caithness Horizons Museum and Art Gallery in Thurso (www.caithnesshorizonsmuseum.com), with it's exhibitions on nuclear research, local wildlife, and medieval stones. 

Skinnet and Ulbster stones at Thurso Museum

Finally, we visited Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery (www.shrewsburymuseum.org.uk). Unfortunately we only had an hour to look around, and despite the ticket seller assuring us that was plenty of time, it was a bit of a rush as there was lots to do and see, with plenty of hands-on activities for the kids. It currently has a big exhibition on the Titanic, but as with many museums where you have to pay, it was very very quiet. Although the 3rd class cabins on the Titanic are often compared unfavourably with Titanic's 1st class, you can't help but see the similarities with the modern sleeper carriages we were on. 

Caledonian Sleeper or Titanic 3rd Class

We also visited MOMA Machynlleth, after an unexpected change on the train. Unfortunately for a museum of modern art, the modern art gallery was closed! 

Just MO

As well as the museums and galleries, there was also a host of public objects and art works that provoked discussion along the way. From prehistoric henges and public walks, to scientists, writers and fictional characters. 

Balfarg Henge and Offa's Dyke Walk

Charles Darwin and Geoffrey Chaucer

Desperate Dan and Paddington Bear

You can't travel the country on 39 trains without at least one picture of a train, and our favourite train trip was Porthmadog to Blaenau Ffestiniog (www.festrail.co.uk) on a narrow gauge steam engine.

The 'David Lloyd George' on the Ffestiniog Railway.

Obviously there's too much to be covered in a single blog post, and we're thinking about writing up the whole trip as a book, current working title: How not to travel Britain by Train.

Next week's project: The Stone Age

Project 7: Sunderland and the North-East

The 'Sunderland and the North-East' project spanned two weeks as it incorporated a five day trip to Sunderland to visit Solomon's grandparents.The project involved visiting multiple local attractions, and then creating a 'Visit the North-East' tourism poster.

We visited Seven Stories, the National Centre for Children's Books in Ouseburn, Newcastle. There are seven floors of interactive activities relating to children's books, with a special exhibition on comic books when we went. There's plenty to fill a whole day, and really engaging staff who are great with children. Solomon was particularly taken by the Attic floor at the top, generally used for storytime but with lots of dressing up boxes scattered around.

The "Can't You Sleep, Little Bear" bear cave

We visited Hylton Castle in Sunderland, the gatehouse-tower of a castle. An impressive building from the 14th century, although unfortunately the castle was fenced off as part of its ongoing refurbishment. There was, however, a really good park next to the castle.

Hylton Castle

We also visited Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens, and Sunderland's illuminations which are on each October.

Cheshire Cat at Sunderland's illuminations

We also watched a number of videos about Sunderland's coal mining, ship building and glass making heritage.

Finally, Solomon brought together some of the different features of the North East into a 'Visit the North East' poster.

'Visit The North East'

The poster incorporates the Angel of the North, a car (representing the Nissan car factory), Hylton Castle, a toadstool from the Alice in Wonderland part of the Sunderland illuminations, a glass vase and a ship to represent Sunderland's shipbuilding and glass making heritage.

Next week's project: Space and the Planets!