Wednesday 25th May
Keswick – Day 3
Today was a much more relaxed day here in Keswick. To start the day after Mr Barber worked his way round an industrial tin opener in the kitchen opening numerous tins of beans, we split into two smaller groups. The first group headed off to the pencil museum with the second going to the puzzle museum. We then alternated the activities after eating lunch together back at the centre.
The puzzle museum had an array of illusions and tricks of the mind that got all our brains ticking. Some of the most mind-boggling features were the anti-gravity water, a room in which balls rolled uphill instead of down and a room which changed people’s height. All the children really enjoyed working out all the illusions. They then had the opportunity to spend their money in the puzzle shop and sweet shop after. There was plenty to choose from but everybody made sensible choices with their money.
The pencil museum was much more exciting than it sounds. We had a tour round learning the process for combining graphite with cedar wood to create pencils. We saw the world’s longest coloured pencil and a spy pencil that was invented during WWII by Charles Francis Smith, the man who inspired the James Bond character ‘Q’. The smart gadget contained a map and a compass that was cleverly concealed inside the middle of a pencil. The Derwent Pencil factory have since created a replica which can be bought in their shop. The museum also had on display a special pencil they designed and made two of for the Queen’s 60th Jubilee which only the Queen herself and the museum have. This year they are not making a commemorative pencil but instead are asking their customers to draw a design onto fabric squares which will be combined and turned into a quilt. On the short walk home from the museum the groups diverted through the park to play on the playground.
Following a relaxed but fun-filled day we enjoyed a fantastic meal of sausages, jacket potatoes and beans before drawing our designs to drop off at the pencil museum to be part of their jubilee quilt. We can’t wait to see the final product.
Before turning in for the night, some children volunteered to help set up the room ready for breakfast. All the children have the chance to volunteer to help set up / clean up before and after meals to gain more independence. Watch out for the photos tomorrow there will be shots of individuals making their own lunch.
