My daughter was part of a big Rewards Day at her school recently, writes Lucy Stephens.
The initiative is designed to encourage good behaviour, and – via the psychological trauma of being left out and having normal lessons in school uniform while everyone else has fun – highlight the consequences of less acceptable conduct.
If you’re in the good section there’s a long list of rewards to choose from.
From my perspective as someone who was at school in the 80s and 90s, I must say things have stepped up a notch.
No longer can schools let you know you’re on the right track with an encouraging smile and, if you’re lucky, half a Twix.
No, no, no, we’re talking trips to Alton Towers, a London West End show, go karting, Waterworld, fishing, golf, the zoo.
It wouldn’t surprise me if a moon landing was on offer next time.
What do you think my daughter went for?
Nestled amongst the list of fun days out in the UK was … a trip to Derby Museum.
That’s what she chose out of all those options.
Not for her the bright lights of London (and a bus trip lasting hours and hours), nor the thrills and spills of a theme park.
I was happy because it cost me a grand total of a fiver which I’m guessing paid for the bus.
She was happy because she had a nice time with her friend exploring the gentle spaces at one of Derby’s quieter delights.
Revamped space
If you’re stuck for something to do with the family these Easter holidays, I’d recommend getting yourselves down to Derby Museum.
It’s recently had an injection of a quarter of a million pounds in Lottery funding and the money has been used to ‘re-imagine’ the spaces inside.
The new look museum has just launched this Spring.
Following a positive report from my daughter a colleague and I went down and checked it out for ourselves one work lunch time.
It’s a big round of applause from me. I love what they’ve done.
I’ve said before in this blog space that I’m a big fan of museums anyway, and I’m particularly fond of the one in central Derby.
What can I say? Now I’m fonder still.
No, it’s not a huge London museum. It’s not the Smithsonian. It’s not loud or brash.
But by virtue of those things, it’s well worth an hour or so of your time.
You won’t find big queues. No-one’s pushing in front of you to try and see something. You can spend a nice long time looking at things or just breeze through if you prefer.
It’s quiet. It’s mindful.
There’s stuff for children to do and try on – and because it’s carefully curated and not too much of it, I bet they’ll enjoy it all the more.
Storytelling
My other daughter (not the one who went to Derby Museum) is doing Psychology for A-level at the moment and I must say I’m a bit jealous.
I’d be fascinated to know what makes us get out of the house and go to things these days, now that our every moment is filled with noise and distraction.
There’s so much to see, watch, listen to and engage with at our fingertips that it’s a wonder we bother leaving the house at all.
And yet, we still do.
Why? What makes us connect? Why would we go to one thing over another?
How does an attraction get that most precious 21st century commodity of all: our attention?
I think one of the things that’s successful about the new-look Derby Museum galleries is that storytelling has been put at the heart of things.
You’re guided through the exhibits via a series of signposts or stories, like ‘footsteps and footholds’.
It helps make sense of the collection and think a bit too.
Not just that, it creates a sense of cohesion and tells the story of Derby past and present in a different way.
Our friend the Allenton hippo is still there, and the Bronze age log boat.
The much-stroked fox has now been retired into a box but good news for young animal lovers – there’s a touchable badger instead.
A lot of thought has gone into not just what you will come to see but how you engage with it.
I liked the old clay jug with broken pieces that you can work out how to put together – with some help on the occasion of our visit from a friendly member of staff.
On the other side of the room while we were there, an ice age themed puzzle was being enthusiastically assembled and taken apart by a pair of siblings.
Other children were sitting quietly and gazing up at the video exhibits which show off glorious Derbyshire countryside and the rehabilitation of beavers into local wetland areas.
The top floor is currently given over to a fabulous exhibition of early Joseph Wright drawings and you get a good sense of Derby’s famous son having begun his journey just down the road in Irongate.
It makes the museum’s permanent collection of his work in the downstairs gallery more meaningful somehow.
You can admire his preparatory sketches and drawings and then see the full glory of his finished works downstairs.
Personally, I prefer the drawings though.
But then I always did like the quieter, less showy, more subtle things in life.
Much like Derby Museum itself.
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