Vindolanda Roman Museum

We made an epic road trip to this place today.  Sometimes it is good to step outside of your box and do something radical :-)

 Car boot road stop lunch.

 We are here!

The 3-D film was really good.

 Our hologram teacher for the day!

 I look like I have fallen asleep but that is not the case!  Since we took part in a "lesson" the lovely lady at the front desk gave Pip a scroll poster as a memento of the day.

 Pip testing out her archery skills, she qualified for the job!

Examining the chain mail. 

 " I wonder how I'll fair ..."

" uh-oh looks like I'm also joining the Syrian archers!" 

We all really enjoyed the day but I'm ready for bed now for sure :-)

Clitheroe Castle

We took our learning out of the four walls last week and visited Clitheroe Castle last Tuesday.  The kids had a great time, Pip especially enjoyed the museum trail and the obligatory cafe stop was very reasonably priced and coped well with our whacky dietary needs:

Tomato and Basil Soup, Chunky Chips and a Toddler Platter for Pip.

 

 

 

 

Following the trail, brass rubbing, dressing up area and reading corner.

 

 

The museum housed a geology section, a victorian study complete with a variety of collector exhibits, a local history section as well as the story of the infamous Pendle Witches.  After a good look round, Benedict, Pip and I made our way to the Castle Keep:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They then had a good run around in the play area at the bottom of the hill and I then attempted to complete the labyrinth; true to form like all areas in my life it was completed at break neck speed whilst keeping one eye on the kids!!  I think God was having a laugh with me that day!!

 

I'm determined to visit this place again, only next time I'll leave the sproggles with Dad in the cafe! 

Monday at The MOSI

Today we visited this place:

Museum of Science and Industry 

Benedict was completely blown away by the vast array of steam powered engines and other related exhibits in the Power Hall.  It was such a joy to see him enthusing about the place, I lost count the number of times the word "WOW" was used!  Pip was a little bit more reserved in her estimation of the place declaring it all to be, "very interesting!"  We took our own food but still managed to stop twice in the museum cafe... Dave desperately needed a sit down and Benedict had three hypos during our three hour visit!!  Amazingly we also met with another home ed family local to us, telephone numbers were exchanged and I'm hoping to arrange a visit later this week.  Pics from the day are as follows:

First pit stop of the day.

 We were handed a swipe card upon entering the Great Western Warehouse which enabled us to take part in a rotating gallery of pictures of visitors to the museum:

 Benedict waving at the camera!

A Montage of Faces.

Pip pulling a funny face.

 Me feeling slightly self conscious!

 My Happy Chap.

Our next port of call was the Power Hall.  Benedict and Dave were in their element, I must admit even I was impressed!

A Water Wheel in Action.

Twirling, Whirling Bits and Bobs.

Engines new and ...

...  old.

We had lunch in the mezzanine above the Air and Space Hall.  I did have to explain to Benedict why swirling around in a flight simulator would not be such a good thing given the combined health of family members and the fact that, we'd just eaten lunch!!  He took the news with good grace, phew!

Re-fuelling!

View from outside the Air and Space Exhibition.

Our final stop for the day was back in the Great Western Hall.  Pip had been pestering to see this "big yellow thing" and it was only when she pointed on the leaflet we new exactly where she wanted to be... the hands on experience centre on the first floor.  We shared the space with lively year seven kids from a local high school but Benedict and Pip took it all in their stride:

 Playing with magnets.

 Learning about earthquakes and...

 ... the devastation they bring.

 Viscosity of Liquids.

 Optical Illusions.

 Our final tea stop for the day and treating hypo number three, sigh!

We adults thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and the kids...?

... I think these shots speak volumes, don't you?

Quarry Bank Mill Styal

We visited here on Wednesday:

Quarry Bank Mill 

It was a good job the site was large as there were at least four school visits going on at the same time!  We arrived just before lunch so bagged a table near the entrance and sat down to eat.  Benedict has been having daily multiple hypos the past ten days and true to form he was having a hypo as he was eating! He was totally unaware of what was happening, very worrying:-(

Once we'd stabilised his sugars we made our way around the mill.  The first room we entered was a private exhibition entitled " Losing The Thread" by this amazing artist:  

Louise Gardiner 

Her art work is second to none and all done with the help of a  Bernina sewing machine and a lot of creative flair.  She is actually running courses at the mill throughout the year and if my family circumstances were better I'd jump at the chance of attending.  Still I can drool at her website instead!

We then followed the prescribed route from the cotton plant to the finished article.  I was on Pip duty and all she wanted to do was run round the exhibitions and Benedict as a result of constant hypos was "away with the fairies" for most of the visit, grr!  Having dragged ourselves around the site Dad and I had afresh coffee fix in the cafe, whilst the children ate and drank their own snacks.  Dave then very kindly took the sproggles to the engine room and I sat on a bench listening to bird song and watching the world go by.  As usual give Benedict a steam powered engine and he's off, needless to say he learnt a lot in that part of the mill, maybe we should've visited there first?!!!

 Dave accosted a passerby to take a group shot!

 Multi-tasking eating and hypo -ing!

Examining a hand operated loom.

Pip running rings around Mummy!

 A spinning demonstration.

 Loading and unloading a wooden cargo ship.

 Pip was not keen on the noisy weaving machines!

Cotton, cotton everwhere.

 Changing tastes in fashion and design.

 A quiet moment.

 The engine in action.

 Benedict enthralled!

As for the rest of week we've kept up with our usual rhythm.  Benedict and I were at Shein's on Thursday, he worked incredibly hard despite having another hypo!  I worked incredibly hard writing our home education report for the year end.  As I write, it is finished and will be in the post by Monday.  On Friday Benedict worked with Simon designing and making a paper mache puppet.  He has taken over from Kamilla and will be working with us until September when the Art Therapy teacher will take over.

Today has been an appalling day regarding Benedict's behaviour, it was only towards the end of the chaos he was actually able to verbalise that, he's sick of the diabetes.  Dave and I are totally exhausted and our combined health is very poor at the moment, so we are truly being tested at the minute.  Despite the outbursts we did manage some productive moments:

Pip buttering her lunch time sandwich.

 Trying to help herself to a lick of Benedict's butter!

 Re-cycling broken crayons, from this...

 ... to this, cupcake crayon love!