Celebrating Geography

We had a fantastic celebration event with children and their teachers/ adults from as far away as London and as close as Stockport and Halifax. Children, some as young as six worked together with eleven year olds and adults in three workshop sessions. We had P4C (Philosophy for Children), `talk strings' constructed to share the things we like/ dislike about living in our world, route maps drawn on the back of T-shirts and some great activities linked to Cote d'Ivoire which were led by two students from Liverpool Hope University. A wonderful day was had by all, we met in the `Work Station' near to the station and the children certainly responded to the day and behaved wonderfully. I hope they're not too tired today. (I have been!)

In the evening we went with our book group to see `The King's Speech' at Penistone, which was chaotic outside as people queued in various places to get in depending on whether you had tickets, whether collecting tickets or had still to buy them we were directed into different lines. They've been running extra matinee performances to cater for the demand. I think the whole population of the distict has been at least once. An evening out at the Parmount is an experience in itself, unlike the cinemas in the city, people tend to know one another so there is much greeting of friends and acquaintances. (We're outsiders so don't get to socialise quite so much.)

The adverts and trailers last from 7.25pm until 7.50 and then the film starts. We watch for three-quarters of an hour and suddenly the screen goes blank and the lights come on - it's interval time and everyone makes for the bar or the ice-cream seller. It's like going back in time to cinema programmes when I was a child. Eventually the film restarts and we are allowed to watch to the end.

I thought it was an excellent film, despite my tiredness I stayed awake and was totally gripped to the end. Well worth going to see if you can get in.