This is another “big day out” blog, but this time it's a double entry, courtesy of the Glasgow Science Centre and Cove Burgh Hall.
First the Science Centre. Currently the venue is opening on reduced hours and open Wednesday to Sunday and on local school holidays. Our party comprised one gran, one mum and 3-year-old Fraser.
We spotted three different school groups, but given the size of the venue and number of exhibitions, it was relatively easy to pick quieter areas to explore. I did have a brief chat with a mum who was accompanying a school trip, and she told me she had responsibility for 8 children. It took me back to my days as a parent helper, so it’s nice to see that practice is being continued.
"All the time a person is a child he is both a child and learning to be a parent. After he becomes a parent he becomes predominantly a parent reliving childhood."
-Benjamin Spock
Taking advantage of a well-appointed bench and keeping one eye on Fraser, I also couldn’t help but be entertained by the human behaviour unfolding in front of me courtesy of a group of schoolgirls – probably about 6 years of age.
One was exhibiting strong leadership traits – albeit in a rather bossy and autocratic manner – rounding up the others in the group because “the teacher had told them to”. The only problem was that she didn't notice the little girl who was busily sailing the cargo ship. Parent helper mum to the rescue!
Glasgow Science Centre is a five star visitor attraction located in the Clyde Waterfront Regeneration area on the south bank of the River Clyde. Queen Elizabeth II opened the Glasgow Science Centre in July 2001, and it is one of Scotland's most popular paid-for visitor attractions. It is a purpose-built science centre composed of three principal buildings: Science Mall, Glasgow Tower and an IMAX cinema.
As well as its main location, Glasgow Science Centre also manages the visitor centre at Whitelee Wind Farm, which opened to the public in 2009.
Fraser flitted from exhibition to exhibition and showed an impressive grasp of many of the touchscreens. It’s fascinating watching a young child’s curiosity and confidence and he was just as interested in many of the mainstream exhibitions as he was in the Big Explorer area specifically designed for under 7s.
We spent around 3 hours in the venue, but even spending a full day would only cover about half of the exhibitions and activities which are available. We definitely plan a future visit.
"If only the sun-drenched celebrities are being noticed and worshipped, then our children are going to have a tough time seeing the value in the shadows, where the thinkers, probers and scientists are keeping society together."
-Rita Dove
Sunday saw me enjoy a slightly slower pace with a lunchtime event at Cove Burgh Hall with Kirsty Wark. Home-made soup and rolls were on offer, prepared by Cove Burgh Hall volunteers, after which Kirsty was expertly and warmly interviewed by Ruth Wishart. What a relaxing and enjoyable way to spend a Sunday lunchtime.
I was surprised to learn that Kirsty has been presenting Newsnight for 30 years, and she openly shared a variety of insights and anecdotes from her long and remarkable career.
As viewers, we are used to watching Kirsty Wark - the professional journalist – but in the informal setting on Sunday it was a delight to discover how sparkly she was, and with a great sense of fun!
There were possibly 60 to 80 people present, but it felt as if she was engaging in an easy-flowing one-to-one conversation. This was all the more impressive given she was hot-footing it to Edinburgh airport immediately after the event to head to Paris to cover the French presidential election for Newsnight.
Cove Burgh Hall is the community hall for the villages of Cove and Kilcreggan on the beautiful Rosneath Peninsula in Argyll.
Entirely volunteer-run, the Hall hosts meetings of local groups that cater for a wide range of interests and all ages, including religious, cultural, adult learning, hobby, and physical exercise activities. It is also available for hire by the public for weddings, birthday parties and other such celebratory events.
Further, through Live@CBH, the Hall is a venue for many fund raising events such as dances, theatre, and concerts, not to mention the annual Hogmanay Ball, Real Ale Festival and Book Festival.
So, a weekend of exploring, learning, travelling and socialising – what’s not to like?
"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the human spirit."
-Albert Schweitzer
Lead well
Lesley
