St Olave's Grammar School, Langley Park School for Girls and Bromley College of Higher and Further Education

 Diary Entry - September

I briefly outline what I want to Scott at NE Plastics, “So you want 1,215 kaleidoscope pieces on acrylic mirror 35mm by 200mm?”, he finally calculates incredulously. This is nothing compared to the rigmarole that follows with kaleidoscope and periscopes tubes.  Unfortunately 100mm (diameter) lenses are no longer made in this country with a long focal length (Camera Obscura), so some have to ordered and shipped from the States with a very long delivery time.

Hendrik works tirelessly to help us with the video (we are complete novices) and we purchase some excellent optical illusions from his internet store – Grand Illusions (a physicists dream toy shop!).

Over the summer we make a lovely trip to Herstmonceux, Nigel, Bob Small from Langley Park and I to assess for a school trip.  We thoroughly enjoy ourselves and think the students will too.  Hard work on the website sets up a bank of resources.  I write the challenges for each year group and instructions for students and details for each construction.

1st September 2008 and the first day back at school; and we have a Bromley Physics Group meeting with the Rolls Royce Science Prize as an agenda item.  Two other schools express interest in participating with the project which leads to more periscopes and kaleidoscopes being ordered!

Vanessa Owen, Team Leader

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