News Test | The Place Programme

Earlier News

Looking for RichardNovember 29, 2018Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by a trip to the Richard III centre in the city of Leicester… Modern cities are often so built up that their past becomes lost under a blanket of concrete but, in Leicester, the past was dramatically revealed when the bones of the “evil” 1 King Richard III were dug up over 500 years after he was brutally killed in battle. Richard is thought to have killed the “two little princes” (the twelve-year-old heir to the throne and his brother), thus allowing him to take the crown. The story of his life, death and the discovery of his remains are vividly told at the King Richard III centre. Here are some moments from our visit there. ...
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In fair Stratford, where we lay our scene …November 22, 2018Still with our theme of “Cities” – this week we visited Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare’s birthplace and a beautiful Tudor market town. The alert reader will notice that Stratford isn’t strictly a city, but -“A rose by any other name …” City or not, Stratford-upon-Avon offers a fascinating glimpse into what urban living was like some 500 years ago. Our guide for the day was, of course, Master William Shakespeare. Here are a few more pictures from our visit. [ngg src=”galleries” ids=”44″ display=”basic_thumbnail”]...
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London ExtravaganzaSeptember 21, 2018New term new theme – Cities! This week we tackled the big one – London. The focus for our visit was the diversity of its transport system (how do you move some 8 million people around everyday?) and the scale of its monumental architecture. In short we tried to experience as many forms of transport as possible and see as many of the capital’s largest building as possible – all in a day. Here are some of the ways we got around the city … And here are a few of the stops on our tour of the city. You can see our full itinerary here The highlight of our trip was the ascent of the Shard – London’s tallest building. Here is a little video showing the view from the 72nd floor. You can download more photos here …...
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Beside the SeaJuly 5, 2018Well, this term we have been thinking about our ‘sea’ theme in many different ways but, sooner or later we had to splash out, take the plunge and get our feet wet so, to this end, PLACE families made the trip to the seaside town of Southend. Please have a look at a few moments from our trip …...
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Making WavesJune 28, 2018Alert readers will recall that this term’s theme is ‘the sea’! Here in land-locked Bedford accessing the sea can be a bit of a challenge – so what better way to try and create all the drama and excitement of the sea than through an arts workshop especially designed by our Arts Award co-ordinator, Paul Nicholson. The inspiration for the workshop was The Great Wave, a print by the nineteenth-century Japanese master, Hokusai. PLACE youngsters tried to follow in the footsteps of the master by copying and painting a giant version of the print. The images below show the process of tracing segments of the drawing from a projected image of the original and then coloring and assembling the final work. You can see more of the day’s work in our gallery below. [ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”42″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”0″ thumbnail_width=”200″ thumbnail_height=”150″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”18″ number_of_columns=”3″ ajax_pagination=”1″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”0″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]...
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Willow and the SeaMay 16, 2018Our theme this term is ‘the sea’! So how does willow sculpture fit into this? Well, our PLACE youngsters took up the challenge and set about building the most dazzling array of sea creatures: dolphins, a hammer head shark, a penguin, a swordfish, a seal, (pause for breath), a sea bird, a starfish and a water spider (this really is a thing – look it up). All of these creatures were sculpted from ‘withies’ (flexible willow-branch cuttings of various dimensions) under the expert guidance of Charlie Lupton – and the results were stunning. Please have a look at our gallery (this and next page) to see the creatures being built and the final results. [ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”41″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”1″ thumbnail_width=”200″ thumbnail_height=”150″ thumbnail_crop=”0″ images_per_page=”18″ number_of_columns=”2″ ajax_pagination=”1″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”0″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]...
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Arts Awards SuccessMay 10, 2018We are delighted to announce that all 21 of PLACE’s summer 2018 Arts Award entrants were passed successfully with very positive comments by the visiting Trinity Art Awards moderator, Danusia Iwasko, when she visited our premises in Putnoe yesterday – she was extremely impressed with all of the entrants’ Arts Award project folders and described them as “excellent”. “Explore” youngsters were represented at the moderation by Mia Thomas and Charlie Robinson, Bronze by Ruth Fox and Nicole Nichols-Cook and Silver by Darryl Woolerson, all pictured above. With them are PLACE’s Art Award supervisor, Paul Nicholson, and Danusia Iwasko. The PLACE entrants answered Ms Iwasko’s questions about their folders and explained what they had liked about undertaking Arts Award projects and what they felt the benefits had been for PLACE participants. Paul Nicholson had worked very hard to display the folders and discussed PLACE youngsters’ entries in detail with the moderator. He would like to say a big ‘WELL DONE’ to all of the participants. He writes… ‘It’s been a real pleasure working with you and seeing the growth in confidence. I really enjoyed looking at all the folders when marking them and was very impressed with the range of artists and arts activities covered. Thanks also to all of the parents for their support over the last six months – it’s greatly appreciated!’...
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Pop-Ups!March 2, 2018In line with this term’s theme of ‘children’s books’ we invited author Robert Crowther to come and visit us… Robert brought a new dimension to our work – we went 3D – we went pop-up! Robert is one of the leading creators of pop-up books and shared his knowledge and skills with us during two workshops – one for primary aged youngsters and one for secondary. Many thanks, Robert, for inspiring such a high level of engagement and creativity (and not just from our youngsters)… Have a look at our workshops in progress as, armed with scissors, pencils and glue we set about popping up. You can see more of our youngsters and parents at work in our gallery below. [ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”40″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”0″ thumbnail_width=”200″ thumbnail_height=”150″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”18″ number_of_columns=”3″ ajax_pagination=”1″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”0″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]...
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Nigel and the DinosaursFebruary 11, 2018It’s always a special treat when our youngsters get to talk with a truly creative individual. This is exactly what happened when we were visited this week by the brilliant children’s author and illustrator, Nigel Blackman. Nigel is perhaps best known for his dinotek series of books and more recently for his new historical novel “Freedom for Bron” – it was these that formed the basis of his four workshops on creative writing and illustration for PLACE. Nigel’s visit was truly inspiring and it is reliably reported that several of our youngsters are now writing their own adventure stories – happy to publish them here when finished. Why not browse our gallery to see the group hard at work. [ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”38″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”1″ thumbnail_width=”200″ thumbnail_height=”150″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”18″ number_of_columns=”2″ ajax_pagination=”1″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”0″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″] ...
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Ely CathedralJanuary 23, 2018This week, PLACE families journeyed to Ely Cathedral to experience this beautiful building and to get some understanding of the Benedictine monastic way of life that has flourished at the Cathedral since the 7th century. During our visit, we were able to: try making our own stained glass creations (a famous feature of the Stained Glass Museum based at the Cathedral), learn how to create illuminated lettering, take part in storytelling sessions and, just for a few hours, find out what it really felt like to be a monk – sampling their dress, sleeping arrangements and food. ...
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Building a Tudor HouseDecember 16, 2017This week, we were again visited by “Make Your Own History“. In the past, we have built stone age huts, an Egyptian pyramid and viking boats under their tutelage – but this time we were going for the big one – an entire Tudor House – in a day! So much of our modern environment is built out of steel, brick and concrete but, back in Tudor times, most houses were built using timber frames filled with “wattle and daub” – a low-tech approach with which our PLACE youngsters were able to get hands on. Here are the builders at work… The fun part was, of course, the daub – this was traditionally made from soil, straw, clay and animal dung. These days, of course, health and safety being what it is, we weren’t able to go with the dung but still managed to have a good daub. Here’s an example of the finished product....
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Birmingham ThinktankNovember 9, 2017Our visit to Birmingham’s “Thinktank” Science Museum really was an action-packed day! During our stay, we flew through the vastness of space in the Planetarium, learnt about energy in a special “Energy Show”, controlled a robot and electrocuted a parent-teacher (only a little bit) … as well as having fun in the outdoor lab. Here are some highlights of our visit. More highlights from our visit … [ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”37″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”0″ thumbnail_width=”200″ thumbnail_height=”150″ thumbnail_crop=”0″ images_per_page=”18″ number_of_columns=”3″ ajax_pagination=”1″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”0″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]...
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An Audience with Elizabeth INovember 2, 2017On a previous visit to Hatfield House, PLACE families met one of England’s most fearsome monarchs – Henry VIII. This week we were back at Hatfield to meet his daughter Elizabeth I (who also went in for a bit of head chopping and was quite fearsome in her own way). Here are a few more moments from our visit to Hatfield – look out for some of the wonderful costumes worn by our families. [ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”35″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”0″ thumbnail_width=”200″ thumbnail_height=”150″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”18″ number_of_columns=”3″ ajax_pagination=”1″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”0″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″] And here’s a little video from Lucy … Hatfield house is also home to the pottery painting workshop”Pots of Art”. So as well as immersing themselves in history, youngsters and parents were able to take off their ruffs, roll up their sleeves and produce some beautiful decorative pottery. [ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”36″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”0″ thumbnail_width=”200″ thumbnail_height=”150″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”18″ number_of_columns=”3″ ajax_pagination=”1″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”0″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]...
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Art from the Natural WorldOctober 21, 2017For many years now, PLACE has been been fortunate to be able to work with local artist Gerry Ewens. Gerry is PLACE’s official artist-in-residence and delivers art sessions at all levels to PLACE youngsters. This week, she has been working with PLACE’s Friday art groups on projects inspired by the work of Andy Goldsworthy. Goldsworthy makes extensive use of natural materials in creating his art and, as you can see below, PLACE youngsters have taken a leaf out of his book in creating their own art from nature! Please browse our gallery to see some of their beautiful creations. [ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”34″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”0″ thumbnail_width=”200″ thumbnail_height=”150″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”9″ number_of_columns=”3″ ajax_pagination=”1″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”0″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]...
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Art Awards & Art/Science WorkshopsOctober 20, 2017Yes – it’s back by popular demand – Trinity Art Awards, an opportunity for all ages to get creative and gain a nationally recognised certificate. “Art Awards” is managed by Trinity College London in association with the Arts Council England working with 10 regional Bridge organisations. [For Trinity College’s Art Awards website, click here.] Art Awards is a national qualification that inspires young people to develop their arts and leadership talents: it’s creative, valuable, accessible and unique. Art doesn’t just mean pictures on walls, it can be plays in a theatre, music in a concert or even poetry in a book! An Art Award (whatever its focus may be) can be achieved at five different levels, with four accredited qualifications, as well as an introductory award. Young people from the ages of 7-25 can take part to develop their understanding of the arts, to engage in arts practice and to encourage their creativity. As part of an Arts Award, they can visit arts events and share their views, research and work alongside artists and other creative professionals and share their own art skills via leadership. To get us started, this week we had a couple of introductory sessions led by Paul Nicholson, one of our long-time and highly successful Art Awards supervisors. Some 30 PLACE children and their parents came to our Putnoe centre to find out about the awards and to get some feedback and guidance about their new Art Awards project work. During the day, Paul also ran a number of art workshops with a science theme “Optical Illusions Through the Ages”. Participants looked at trompe d’oeil effects, lenticular prints, 3D images and a host of optical illusions, old and new, and rounded off their sessions by having a go at making a thaumatrope. Have a look at our gallery to see more of our youngsters (and parents) hard at work… [ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”33″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”1″ thumbnail_width=”200″ thumbnail_height=”150″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”8″ number_of_columns=”2″ ajax_pagination=”1″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”0″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” template=”default” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″] ...
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On SafariJuly 13, 2017West Midlands Safari Park is an award-winning conservation and education centre. This week, PLACE families set off to the Park to learn about some of the important conservation work carried out there. As well meeting some of the animals in the education centre, PLACE learners also had a Ranger-guided tour of the Safari park to meet some of the larger animals close-up. In the centre, youngsters also had a chance to handle some of the animals living at the Safari Park … With an interesting and informative commentary from our Safari Ranger, we hit the road and encountered some of the Park’s larger residents – including giraffes and camels very happy to have lunch with visiting humans… Our thanks go to all the Park staff who worked so hard to make this such an exciting, thought-provoking and memorable visit. ...
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Play in a DayJuly 6, 2017As part of our summer drama activities, a company called “Splats” came to work with those of our PLACE youngsters who have been engaging in our weekly Drama courses as well as other interested PLACE families. “Splats” offer “Play in a Day” workshops that allow learners to produce – from scratch – edited versions of great plays – in a day! For our participants this week, it was the beautiful “Midsummer Night’s Dream”… ‘On a Midsummer’s night, four young lovers find themselves wrapped in the dream-like arms of an enchanted forest where sprites lurk and fairies rule. While a feuding Fairy King and Queen are at war, their paths are crossed by Bottom, Quince and their friends presenting a play within a play. Chief mischief-maker Puck is on-hand to ensure that the course of true love is anything but smooth, and games of fantasy, love and dreams ensue in Shakespeare’s most beguiling comedy.’ Our Splats workshop was one of the best we have ever had for PLACE youngsters, and our sincere thanks must go first to the talented workshop leader, Johannes, who, through his energy and enthusiasm, inspired our youngsters to give of their best and stay focused all day. Thanks also to the stalwart PLACE parents who volunteered to stay and assist at the event and – finally – thanks to our youngsters, who gave us such a wonderful performance! Here is a short video of Johannes and the kids in action followed by a gallery of some images from their performance. Browse our gallery to see more “Dream”ing. [ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”32″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”1″ thumbnail_width=”200″ thumbnail_height=”150″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”18″ number_of_columns=”3″ ajax_pagination=”0″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”0″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″] ...
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Hazard AlleyJune 29, 2017‘Hazard Alley’ was the first purpose-built, safety education centre in the UK and has been designed to give children a unique and interactive learning experience. During their afternoon visit, PLACE families toured the Centre’s ‘life size’ village, where young PLACE people encountered a range of ‘hazards’ that gave them the opportunity to develop vital knowledge and strategies on how to stay safe. Safety issues examined during the tour included safety in the home, online safety, water safety, railway safety, road safety, building-site safety – and much, much more. Please have a look at just some of what our PLACE youngsters were able to experience....
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Anglian WaterMay 11, 2017This term’s theme is “Community Services” and we thought we would start with with a service that we all use every day of our lives – water treatment! It’s easy to take this service for granted, but imagine not having easy access to clean water – our lives would become a lot more difficult and dangerous. So how how does clean water reach our homes? To find out, PLACE families visited the Anglian Water Recycling Centre in Leighton Buzzard. For many years, Anglian Water has offered an award-winning, community-education programme. This programme includes taught sessions, resources to assist learning across all ages, interactive games, talks and training for adults. The programme is designed to help participants understand more about the water industry, how they can help in the recycling processes and why water is so vital to life. ...
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London Canal MuseumMarch 30, 2017Today, there is much talk of infrastructure development, such as HS2 and Heathrow’s second runway but, back in the 18th century, the big infrastructure development was the canal. The creation of the canal network did much to support the early days of the industrial revolution and, this week, PLACE families set off to the London Canal Museum to get a taste of canal life first hand. ...
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Science MuseumFebruary 4, 2017Our big theme for this term is “Inventions”, so what better place to go to experience inventions both old and new than London’s Science Museum! So, this week, a coach party of some 65 PLACE members – young and old – set off for a day at the Museum. A day really isn’t enough, of course – we saw and experienced so much from the world of science, mathematics and engineering, including, Tim Peakes’ spacecraft, the Wonder Lab and the mind (and eye) boggling IMAX cinema, where we were able to see to the very limits of the known Universe. All totally amazing – have a look at our gallery to see our PLACE youngsters getting “hands-on” in the Wonder Lab. ...
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Stone & Iron InventionsJanuary 6, 2017Out theme this term is “Inventions”, so we started by revisiting the Stone and Iron ages and looked at some of humanity’s most important early inventions – housing, tool making and grinding corn for flour. To help with this, we were visited by “Make Your Own History” who helped PLACE families construct a Stone-Age dwelling, create Stone-Age tools and grind corn (the hard way). Here are some of the highlights of our day. ...
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Hatfield HouseOctober 6, 2016This week, PLACE families travelled back in time to the court of Henry VIII at Hatfield House. Henry’s last wife, Catherine Parr, was also in attendance, in addition to his court musician and one of his archers. Before meeting one of the scariest monarchs in our history, we had a relaxing craft session at Pots of Art based at Hatfield house. Have a look at our gallery to see PLACE youngsters being creative with pottery and paint. ...
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Nene Valley RailwaySeptember 30, 2016Last week, it was all about water and air – this week our “transport” theme brings us to steam and the Nene Valley Railway. The Nene Valley Railway (NVR) is a preserved railway in Cambridgeshire, England, running between Peterborough Nene Valley and Yarwell Junction. The line, which is 7.5 miles (12.1 km) in length, with stations at each terminus, has been a location for filming over 150 TV shows, films, adverts and music videos. TV shows filmed have included Casualty, Silent Witness, Dalziel & Pascoe and Poirot; films Octopussy and Golden Eye. PLACE families had the chance to step back in time and experience the sounds, sights and smells of steam locomotion and enjoy a ride on the wonderful NVR. Here are some of the highlights of our visit. ...
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Classrooms in the AirSeptember 22, 2016This week, in line with our autumn “Transport” theme, PLACE families visited London to experience some modes of transport on the river Thames and to learn something of the history of the waterway that connects so many of the City’s great landmarks. Adding another dimension to our visit, we took a trip on the London Eye for a completely unique view of London with fascinating talks from our guides: Arni and Sarah. Below are some of the landmarks spotted during our river trip – can you name them all?...
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Celtic HarmonySeptember 15, 2016Celtic Harmony Camp is an award-winning charity that has provided 17 years of hands-on educational experiences within a real Iron Age settlement. The centre is proud of its record of cultural heritage education about ancient Britain that increases participants’ understanding of the natural world and helps to create a more sustainable way of life for future generations. This week a group of some 50 PLACE parents and youngsters visited the camp to experience life in Iron Age Britain. Then, as now, it wasn’t all about life’s essentials – food, clothing and shelter – but also about the finer things of life, e.g., fabrics and dyes, jewellery, soothing beverages and perfumes (yes,they didn’t like being smelly either). Have a look at our gallery below to see PLACE youngsters trying their hands at bread making; dying; weaving and flour making, all in an authentic iron-age setting....
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Living RainforestJuly 8, 2016For our animal trip this week, we decided to visit the rainforest – in Berkshire. The Living Rainforest (http://www.livingrainforest.org) is a charity aimed at furthering “the understanding of sustainable living in the UK and abroad through high-quality education.”. This was a wonderful opportunity to experience a totally new environment and meet the animals who inhabit it. Thanks to all at Living Rain Forest who made this such an enjoyable visit. ...
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Kentwell HallJuly 3, 2016This week we visited Kentwell Hall and Farm. Kentwell (http://www.kentwell.co.uk/) is a Tudor manor house that hosts an annual “time-tunnel” re-enactment, allowing visitors to step back into the Tudor World. Visitors are required to dress in Tudor costumes and are met by hosts who stay firmly within their Tudor characters. PLACE families entered into the Tudor spirit by creating their own costumes, some of which would not have looked out of place on the set of Wolf Hall – see below. Have a look at our gallery below to see some of the activities in which our youngsters engaged – including, candle making, woodwork, music and the making of marchpane (a Tudor version of marzipan). ...
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Herrings Green FarmJune 16, 2016Following on from our last post in which we tackled plasticine animals, we now felt ready for the real thing, so off to Herrings Green Farm for close encounters of the feathery, furry and scaly kind. PLACE youngsters were given talks by Herrings Green Farm staff and were able to get close up to a variety of animals, including snakes, a skunk, giant stick insects and many birds of prey (everyone’s favourite, I think). Here are some of the day’s highlights … More photos in our gallery … ...
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Animal AnimationMay 24, 2016This term our theme is “Animals”. Animals, of course, come in all shapes and sizes – especially the plasticine ones, as we found out when AnimationNation visited us to deliver another of their excellent animation workshops. Have a look at the gallery to see our youngsters hard at work bringing to life an assortment of animals: giraffes; rats; snails; cats and, of course, dinosaurs (not for the faint-hearted, this one). Here are the completed videos. Click the play button to watch them all, or click the Menu button to select an individual video. ;...
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KidzaniaApril 15, 2016It’s work experience but not as we know it! KidZania is a City where youngsters are in charge; they can try their hand at being a pilot, a firefighter, a news reader or any one of over 60 role-play adventures. This week, a group of over 70 PLACE youngsters and parents visited Kidzania in London, where the youngsters took charge and parents had a well-earned rest(?). ...
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Florence and PisaApril 6, 2016To round off this term’s theme of “Homes Through the Ages” we thought we would see how the other half live used to live and visit the Pallazos of renaissance Florence. A group of some 50 parents and youngsters visited this world heritage site and experienced first hand the splendour of the city’s ancient buildings. On our way to Florence, we stopped off at nearby Pisa just to take in the tower … e …and before we left Italy, we stopped off at the beautiful beach resort of Viareggio for lunch and a paddle … ...
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Goodnight Mr TomMarch 3, 2016This term we have been focussing on”homes through the ages” – and, yesterday, we looked at young people who were forced by war to leave their own homes to try to make the best of things amongst strangers – a story that is still with us today. A party of over 80 parents and youngsters visited Milton Keynes theatre for a performance of “Goodnight Mr Tom”, a story about an evacuee during World War II. Before the performance, PLACE youngsters attended workshops led by National Theatre and Youth Theatre directors that focussed on the themes of the play. A truly outstanding production by the National Theatre made for a moving and thought-provoking experience. Below are some moments from the pre-performance workshops....
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Foundling MuseumFebruary 11, 2016This term, our theme is “Homes through the Ages”. Sadly, of course, down the ages, many children have been born into the world without a home of their own. With this thought in mind, we set off to London to visit the Foundling Hospital Museum and learn about a charity that has supported homeless children for nearly 300 years. At this fascinating and hands-on Museum, there are copies of the clothes the foundlings wore, the beds they slept on and, most poignantly, tiny “tokens” – buttons, thimbles, charms or even just scraps of fabric left on the doorstep with the infants – the only thing in the world linking them to the mother who made the heartbreaking decision to give them up. Also on display are eighteenth-century interiors preserved from the original hospital; a copy of Handel’s ‘Messiah’ and a collection of Handel memorabilia. The composer was involved in fundraising for the hospital during his lifetime – in 1750, he donated the chapel organ and, from that year onwards, the ‘Messiah’ was performed under his direction on an annual basis for the Hospital’s benefit. Our workshop leader for the day was artist David Lehan, seen below in the sumptous surroundings of the Museum. The museum houses a wonderful collection of portraits and, while they were there, PLACE youngsters were encouraged to draw self-portraits featuring objects that are important to them – much as the founder, Captain Coram, had been depicted by Hogarth all those years ago. The day was completed by a visit to the Museum of Childhood to take in the exhibition “On Their Own: Britain’s Child Migrants“, a sometimes heartbreaking look at how some children found homes in far off-lands away from their familites. Thanks to everyone at the Foundling Museum and the Museum of Childhood for such an enjoyable and thought-provoking day. ...
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Christmas ConcertDecember 17, 2015Our Christmas concert at Charterhouse has become something of a fixture in the PLACE timetable and, once again, our talented youngsters have played, sung and performed for its residents. PLACE music groups presented a varied programme of both classical and popular music, and the drama group delivered a reworking of an old nursery rhyme favourite, “Humpty Dumpty”. Special thanks to our musical director, Hazel Farrow, and to our drama director, Debora Milton, who made it all happen. Click the link to download a copy of the Charterhouse Concert Programme 15 Dec 2015 Have a look at our picture gallery for some of the concert highlights. ...
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Cutty SarkNovember 18, 2015As readers of these news items may know, our current theme is “Water” – and you can’t get much more watery than a trip up the Thames in a water bus followed by visits to the National Maritime Museum and the Cutty Sark. Once at Greenwich, we had our own personal Captain on the Cutty Sark … Time to take a rest on an old sea chest .. how does that song go – “Fifteen Men on a Dead Man’s Chest, Yo ho ho…” Have a look at our picture gallery to find out more about the day…...
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PrestatynSeptember 17, 2015The theme which unites our activities this term is “Water” – and where better to start than the seaside town of Prestatyn in beautiful North Wales? Prestatyn was our jumping-off point to a range of local activities. The images below give a taste of the wonderful experiences we had during out time there. The Great Orme One of North Wales’ great natural beauty spots. See Wikipedia for details https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Orme) Surf Snowdonia Surf Snowdonia is North Wales’s brand new surf park – after an hour’s training, our youngsters were able to take to the surf and show off their skills. On the Beach If you are by the sea, you’ve got to have a beach party, barbecue and sandcastle competition – great! Welsh Mountain Zoo ...
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Wicksteed AgainJuly 26, 2015Yes! It’s the end of another year and, in what is now something of a tradition, we tripped off to Wicksteed Park for a get-together – a buffet and loads of rides for the children (and some brave adults). A great time was had by all and we have the photos to prove it … ...
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KidzaniaJuly 5, 2015Kidzania (www.London.kidzania.com) already has many branches around the world: it offers youngsters early career guidance through very realistic role play, providing them with opportunities to operate in a huge variety of sets with carefully replicated and downsized equipment, detailed uniforms and even salaries (in Kidzania currency!) which they can spend later at the end of their shifts in the on-site store. During our recent visit, PLACE youngsters were able to experience first hand a huge range of potential careers, including … Forensic science Baby care Running a radio news room Smoothie making – not as easy as you might think… Have a look at our gallery below to see just how realistic the environments that Kidzania creates actually are… ...
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NorfolkJune 19, 2015On Wednesday, a coach load of families set off to Norfolk aiming at the National Lavender Collection to follow our ‘Flower’ theme. We had a talk about the extraction and uses of lavender oil in the Lavender Oil Distillery and then were able to visit the Animal Farm, with its mix of rare, unusual, cute and cuddly animals. – see below. Having left National Lavender, we made our way to Hunstanton and the Sea Life Sanctuary (starting to think about our ‘Water’ theme) – here the animals weren’t quite as cute and really not cuddly at all. Now have a look at our gallery:- ...
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Circular Weaving WorkshopMay 21, 2015This week local artist Philippa McDonald came to show us how to weave in a circle on handmade looms. Have a look at our gallery below to see some of the wonderful creations produced by PLACE youngsters. ...
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Flower ArtMay 16, 2015It’s spring, and our Rainbow art group has sprung into action with some beautiful flower art. The Rainbow Art group is made up of some of PLACE’s youngest members (4-7 years) who, under the guidance of our resident Artist, Gerry Ewens, continue to produce vibrant and exciting works of art. Please have a look at our gallery below....
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Swiss GardensApril 30, 2015As part of PLACE youngsters’ learning around this term’s theme of “Flowers”, we visited the quaint, quirky and very charming Swiss Garden. Families were given a tour by the garden staff that focused on the Garden’s beautiful floral displays and on the work that goes into their preparation and maintenance all year round. Swiss Garden has been described as “the most complete surviving example of a Regency garden in Britain… an alpine wonder on the outskirts of Biggleswade”. Over recent years, the Garden has undergone an 18-month, £3.5 million restoration process funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund – there are 13 listed structures of delicate character on the site! Swiss Garden was created by eccentric Lord Ongley, who built the estate village of Old Warden on a similar alpine theme; apparently he expected his workers to sport rustic red neckerchiefs as he came by in his carriage! Apart from wonderful landscaping and magnificent and ever-changing floral displays, highlights of the Garden include the principal thatched building, the Swiss Cottage, a Grotto and Fernery, a tiny chapel, a thatched “Indian kiosk”, a punt dock – and several little islands accessible via small bridges and adorned with urns. Oh – and there are the most beautiful peacocks too fearlessly wandering around! ...
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Fishbourne Roman PalaceApril 16, 2015As part of our spring “Romans” theme, PLACE visited Fishbourne Roman Palace and Gardens to explore this outstanding archaeological site and see the largest collection of early Roman mosaic floors in Britain – over twenty, including the spectacular “Cupid on a Dolphin”. We were also able to view the corridors and under-floor heating system from the elevated walkways, as well as an introductory film showing how the Palace may have looked 2,000 years ago. PLACE youngsters had a chance to step back in time too in trying on the costumes of the rich and powerful… …and the not so rich and powerful… There was also an opportunity to use their tablets… Fishbourne Gallery (note that there are TWO pages to the Gallery below):- ...
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The Theatre of WiddershinsMarch 27, 2015Andy and Penny Earey, who run the Widdershins Puppet Company, are ex-PLACE parents who had two home-educated youngsters registered with PLACE for many years. We have been fortunate enough to have had all sorts of input from Widdershins in the past, including fabulous workshops and showings of several of their highly entertaining puppet shows. Think not of “Punch and Judy” – Andy’s shows are full of drama, showmanship, true artistic innovation and wonderful, specially composed music. Andy makes all of his own props and puppets from beginning to completion; invents scripts and always includes some original musical compositions as part of his unique shows. Andy’s performances are truly engaging for all ages and never fail to delight and surprise – they are a highly entertaining and amusing experience for all, adults and children alike. Widdershins returns frequently to provide an outstanding theatrical experience for PLACE youngsters: on their latest visit, they took us into the magical world of – porridge! After the show we had our Bronze Arts award ceremony, at which Andy presented certificates to our successful candidates. ....
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Optio is Back …February 26, 2015Optio the Roman soldier returned this week after almost two thousand years, to the delight of the assembled PLACE youngsters. He was obviously more used to ancient Britons than these modern ones so was a bit guarded at first … But things soon settled down and Optio showed us how Roman soldiers drilled and let us try on some of the armour. Many thanks to Optio for a really wonderful experience and to his helpers at www.historysquad.co.uk Ave Optio....
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Animation WorkshopFebruary 19, 2015This all-day event led by animation expert Barry Skillin from Animation Nation gave groups of PLACE youngsters a chance to create short films using Apple MacBooks, digital camcorders, lights, tripods, stop-motion/post-production software, backgrounds, storyboards and lots of modelling clay! Animation Nation workshops promote communication and organisation skills, problem solving, teamwork, and help to build self-confidence. The finished animations are now available on the PLACE YouTube channel. Click “Playlist” to select an animation to view. ...
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Mosaic WorkshopFebruary 5, 2015As readers of our news items will know, we are deep into “the Romans” this term. The mosaics that decorated wealthy Roman homes are amongst the most enduring of Roman creations and, this week, PLACE youngsters had a go at creating mosaics themselves with the help of Phillipa McDonald from Creative Days. The persistence, care and creativity shown by our young PLACE people produced some beautiful results – well done all....
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Romans in the CityJanuary 29, 2015So what did the Romans do for us? To answer this question, PLACE families went down to London to visit the Museum of London’s Archaeological Archive. While there, they learnt about the work the Museum is doing to uncover what remains of Roman London and saw some examples of their finds held in the world’s largest archaeological archive. ...
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SOLE – Chariots and Charity!January 29, 2015SOLE is our “Self Organised Learning Environment” project. SOLE youngsters meet fortnightly to to develop their self-directed learning skills. In recent weeks, the focus has been on chariot racing (in line with this term’s Roman theme). Here is a short video showcasing some of the model chariots they have developed. Also, this term PLACE has been supporting the “toilet twinning ” charity – and SOLE youngsters have come up with a video explaining what we can all do to help:-...
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Coding WorkshopJanuary 22, 2015Following the government backed “Year of Code initiative, PLACE families came together to start learning the basics of computer programming using a language called “Scratch“. Scratch is a highly visual language suitable for very young coders and, at our workshop, we had some thirty 5-11 year olds, all eager to cut some code. The workshop was delivered by Computer Explorers and, as well as providing lots of hands-on experience for the youngsters, the session gave some of the parents a chance to learn with their children. This session was very much an ice breaker and families will now have the confidence to go on and explore Scratch for themselves using the free online resources. Coding not only gives an insight into the workings of software that we all use everyday but also develops analytical skills that are applicable across a wide range of subject areas, not just computer science. … and after the workshop some of us had an itch they just had to Scratch … ...
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Pottery PaintingJanuary 3, 2015PLACE families ended the year with a visit to The Kiln in Bedford town centre. Youngsters were able to transfer their pre-planned designs to a variety of pottery blanks – mugs, plates, dragons (!?), etc. This was a very lively and fun session providing a great opportunity for youngsters to socialise as well as the chance show off their creativity and to take away something useful (not sure about the dragons) and decorative… Many thanks to all the staff at the The Kiln, who helped to make this such a successful event. ...
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Charter House ConcertDecember 17, 2014Yesterday, PLACE youngsters returned to Charter House to entertain the residents with a concert of music and drama. We had choirs, violins, an oboe solo, a guitar solo and poetry from our drama group. Please click the link below for the full programme. Charterhouse Concert Programme 16 Dec 2014 Choir Oboe Drama We hope it was an enjoyable concert for the residents – it certainly was tor the youngsters who took part....
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Spaghetti MakingDecember 10, 2014Still following this term’s “Food and Drink” theme, a group of PLACE youngsters visited the beautiful Bedford riverside restaurant: Spaghetti John’s. They were there to learn how to make to make spaghetti and, later, to enjoy eating what they had prepared. A spaghetti masterclass Assisted by Spaghetti John’s encouraging staff, our boys and girls learnt how to operate spaghetti makers and also gained an understanding of the ingredients that go into making that perfect plate of spaghetti! Spaghetti Making Thanks to everyone at Spaghetti John’s for a well-organised event and for delivering such an enjoyable experience for our youngsters. Spaghetti Eating ...
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Felt WorkshopsDecember 7, 2014Are you fuzzy about felt – ever wondered where it comes from and how you can make creative use of it? Well, on Friday morning, young artists in Art Sparks and Rainbow Art groups had a master class from Anne-Marie Stijelja – a leading exponent of felt as an expressive medium. Our youngsters had a chance to make felt from scratch (it comes from wool) and then went on to create some of the beautiful artwork seen in the gallery below. Many thanks, Anne-Marie, for such a great workshop. Making the Felt Anne-Marie with Ben A shoal of felt fish made by the Art Sparks and Rainbow Art groups...
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Bee DayDecember 4, 2014This term, our activities have centered around a theme of “Food and Drink”. In line with this theme, we were visited by Wally Thrale from Bedford Bee Keepers Association. Wally talked to an audience of some 40 parents and children about the role of bees in food production and of, course, where honey comes from! Following Wally’s talk, our families took part in an illustration workshop led by Jessica Albarn (author and illustrator) for whom bees are an enduring passion, featuring in much of her published work. ...
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SOLE Open MorningNovember 29, 2014SOLE is our “Self Organised Learning Environment” programme based on the pioneering work of Sugata Mitra. SOLE aims to develop learning skills of investigation, analysis and problem solving that will last a life time! The sessions take place on alternate Friday mornings at Stewart House and are facilitated by Jacq Emkes. This Friday, our young learners hosted an open morning for PLACE visitors to showcase some of the science and technology-based projects on which they have been working this term. Demonstrations included: Computer games developed using Scratch Python programming on the Raspberry Pi A demonstration of QR codes Stop-motion animation On-line “healthy eating” quiz using iPads Frankenstein’s Hand experiment (scary!) The morning was a striking demonstration of what young people can achieve when given the freedom to explore and find out for themselves. ....
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Laser WorldNovember 20, 2014No, it’s not an executive away-day team building exercise – it’s some of our PLACE youngsters at Bedford’s Laser World! This hi-tech version of tag not only provides an opportunity to let off steam but also a chance to plan strategically and act cooperatively. Not yet an Olympic sport – but who knows? And, of course, at the end of the day there are prizes – here is Charlie with a well-earned piece of hardware for the mantelpiece:- Charlie was the least ‘tagged’ player throughout the afternoon. Well done Charlie! ...
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Pizza ExpressNovember 5, 2014This week PLACE families were the guests of Pizza Express in Bedford. Pizza Express have a long-established education morning during which they offer young learners a chance to find out about: kitchen health and safety; sourcing ingredients; basic recipes and, of course, how to get “hands-on” and make their own pizzas! The staff at Pizza Express delivered a totally absorbing and highly enjoyable session, culminating in what the youngsters were all looking forward to – eating their own freshly-baked pizzas! Thanks so much to all at Pizza Express. ...
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Anglian WaterOctober 11, 2014This week off to Anglian Water to experience their award-winning community-education programme. This programme includes taught sessions, resources to assist learning across all ages, interactive games, talks and training for adults. The programme is designed to help participants understand more about the water industry and why water is so vital to life. Anglian Water’s educational provision encompasses all Key Stages and A-Level. There is a range of topics covered, such as water efficiency, pollution, climate change and sustainability. Our young PLACE learners were able to join in fun, interactive sessions, including challenging self-directed projects such as the “water supply challenge” – real pipes, a budget, real water – lots of fun! ...
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Visit to IronbridgeSeptember 17, 2014To round off PLACE’s summer theme of “The Victorians”, we booked from 1st-5th September the whole of the Coalbrookdale Youth Hostel, which is located in the Ironbridge region of Shropshire. Built in 1853 as a literary and scientific institute by the Coalbrookdale Company, this beautiful Victorian building was used as a school of art before becoming a Youth Hostel in 1980. The building has been converted inside to provide thoroughly modern facilities perfect for youngsters (YHA Ironbridge Coalbrookdale has been awarded the Quality Badge by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom). Set in the delightful Ironbridge Gorge UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Coalbrookdale Hostel provides an ideal base for exploration and learning. There is history every way you look – including ten museums in close proximity, most of which attended during our stay. We explored Victorian Britain in Blists Hill Victorian Town, where we were transported back to life in the late 1800’s, with townsfolk in period costume going about their daily lives, shopping and working. There is a Victorian bank on site – which exchanges modern coinage for Victorian legal tender to spend around the town, for example to pay for fair rides or to purchase freshly-baked cinnamon or currant buns at the on-site Victorian bakery. There is a chemist; grocer; tailor; photographer; squatter’s cottage; schoolhouse; steam-operated pithead; to name but a few. PLACE’s families had a chance to try their hand in the soap-making workshop as part of the day’s agenda; whilst at the China Museum, there was a clay workshop included in the itinerary. On another day, the group took a stroll to the 200-year-old Tar Tunnel. The structure that gives the area its name, the Iron Bridge itself, is a “must-see”. Particularly attractive for science and design students was the “Enginuity” Museum, which which allowed us to see how ideas become designs and eventually products, all in an interactive and engaging way. ...
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Goodbye Year 11July 24, 2014GCSEs are now out of the way and we come to that time of year when we say goodbye to our Year 11 students. To celebrate their time with PLACE, some ninety students, parents and friends descended on Wicksteed Park to enjoy a picnic and to try some of the rides. June McDonald (PLACE Programme Manager) was presented by some of the Year 11’s with a photo montage they had prepared to illustrate memories of their time with PLACE – a big “Thank you” from June. It was a great day out with fabulous weather – and if you are at Wicksteed you really should try the go-karts… We wish all our leavers the very best for their future studies and careers and hope they will be able to keep in touch with us. ...
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Visit to the British Schools MuseumJuly 23, 2014Following our Victorian theme for this term, PLACE students visited the British Schools Museum to find out what schools were like over one hundred years ago. Looks like it was a lot tougher then – hard seats and and a pretty scary looking teacher! Of course there were no computers in those days … And if you weren’t listening everyone knew about it … Stepping back into the past just for the day was both an enjoyable and educational experience for our students and perhaps made us all appreciate how opportunities for learning have improved over the years. ...
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PLACE Perform for Charter HouseJuly 16, 2014On a very hot and sunny afternoon, the children from PLACE excelled themselves in a war-time themed performance at Bedford Charter House. The residents were given rousing renditions of, amongst others, ‘Daisy Daisy’ and We’ll Meet Again’, which had everyone singing and clapping along. There were also singing performances from the little ones with songs about the zoo and driving a car, which had very energetic actions. The violins entertained us, as did Mariah, with her modern-day song, beautifully sung. The afternoon was rounded off with a short drama performance depicting the thoughts and feelings of an evacuee during the war. This was done through a poem written by one of the children. It was an excellent performance from everyone. The ladies and gentlemen said it was their best performance EVER! Following the performance one of the residents sent us this lovely poem. VISIT OF THE CHOIR By Mary Dyke To hear the children’s voices And join them as they sing To listen to their acting What happy thoughts they bring As they sing and act before us And violins are played They seem to give us all they’ve got In a happy serenade They take us back to wartime When children had to go from Their homes, and go to strangers To find shelter from the bomb We pray that today’s children From this and every race Will grow in peace, and never War’s traumas have to face So, many thanks to all of you Who entertained us here We all enjoyed your visit and hope You’ll come back another year. Finally, thanks to teachers Debs, Lucy and Hazel – and to Emma for help with the organisation....
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Arts Award of the Highest StandardJune 19, 2014We have had some fantastic feedback from our Arts Award moderator … “Congratulations in supporting this home-educated group in their achievement of Bronze Arts Award. Their portfolios were of the highest standard, reflecting pride and dedication in their work. The range of their skills and interests was impressive, including meeting Michael Morpurgo at a performance of the musical adapted from one of his books; the craft of pyrography; drumming; sewing and origami. They engaged with remarkable artists – like the street artist who makes mushrooms. ” PLACE students with our moderator Roy Nevitt (left) and Arts tutor Paul Nicholson...
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Arts AwardsJune 17, 2014Ten PLACE students have just completed their Bronze Arts Award folders! A sample of the folders was shown at a recent Arts Award surgery at The Higgins, and the ladies from Trinity College and the Royal Opera House were very impressed with the high quality of the folders and the visual impact of the students’ displays. The 10 folders will go on display at PLACE’s end-of-term Victorian Family Day (Wed 23 July), when we will be hoping to present their certificates… fingers crossed!...
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Paper PeopleMay 31, 2014Wonderful animation and music from a student who has been with PLACE since the start some ten years ago. ...
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