February at Basingstoke Discovery Centre
Viewers of the BBC’s_ The Train No Departing_ will be interested to know that a volunteer of 30 years from the Watercress Line is visiting on Thursday 7th (2pm, £3). Using original film footage he will talk about the early years of the railway, how volunteers have kept the line running and what the future holds for preserved railway.
National Libraries Day falls on the 9th so to celebrate this special day, Barry Cunningham – best known for discovering and publishing the first_ Harry Potter_ book – will be visiting to talk to you about his career with Harry Potter, Roald Dahl and publishing company the Chicken House (2pm, £3). The Discovery Centre will also have a number of model railways in the building, courtesy of the Basingstoke & North Hants Model Railway Society, and a Scrabble tournament throughout the day.
Later in the month passionate traveller Mike Braide will recite a selection of diverse poems on the 21st (2pm, £3) that reflect the theme of ‘travel’ – expect verse ranging from Rudyard Kipling to Pam Ayres!
For kids aged 6 – 10 (22nd, 11am, £5) and 11 – 15 (22nd, 2pm, £5), an experienced film-maker will be running stop-motion workshops using only LEGO and your child’s imagination to make a short film – devised entirely by the children. These so-called_ brickfilms_ have become an internet sensation and are sure to satisfy creative young minds.
Historic maps play an important role in local and family history research and the team have noticed a recent surge in enquiries. A map expert from the Hampshire Record Office will be visiting on the 26th to talk about what information you can glean from historic maps of the area and a member of the Basingstoke team will introduce you to items available in the Discovery Centre. For anyone interested in local and family history research, this talk will be a real eye-opener (2pm, £3).
A season of biographical films continues in February, all of which are free to watch on our big screen. Ben Kingsley stars in the story of Mahatma Gandhi on the 14th (2pm) and the life of Howard Hughes is portrayed by Leonardo Di Caprio on the 28th (2pm). Entrance is free – simply arrive for 2pm. For those interested in how films ‘work’, a ‘Beginner’s Guide to Film’ course kicks off on the 1st March that unlocks the mystery of movies in an easy and enjoyable way. The cost is only £30 and takes place on Friday afternoons.
Advance booking is essential for charged-events – call the team on 01256 478670 to book a place and let us know you are coming or visit the Discovery Centre in person. Visit for full event details including those later in the year.
The Basingstoke Discovery Centre is in Festival Place Shopping Centre and open seven days a week. Library membership is free and a number of digital services are now available from the website.
