Marcus Antonius Barbatus:
(Roman Centurion)
Marcus is based at Vindolanda Fort on Hadrians Wall.
Find out about the life of a Roman Soldier, how to set up camp ready for battle, superstitions and the punishment for desertion!
Let Marcus train your legion with drill, marching alongside tales of how the Romans changed everyday life.
Captain William Whitebeard:
A very popular character for Foundation, KS1 and lower KS2. He can meet you on the beach (or in school) as the class excavate an already buried treasure chest. Captain Whitebeard claims it is his!
Stories of walking the plank, sharks, dragons, as well as sea shanties, pirate games and Yo Ho Ho adventures keep the children engaged for the session.
Captain Whitebeard has also met up with the same junior pirate crew later on in the term aboard a real boat in Bristol Docks!
Sid Richards
(WW1 or WW2)
Sid Richards, the local Air Raid Precautions Warden can come into your school to explain about his life and experiences as a soldier in WW1. For WW2, learn about rationing, his job during the Blitz as a fireman and of course the evacuees that have been sent from London.
Bring your WW1 or WW2 project to life with marching, life in the trenches and the Xmas Truce or how about an air raid drill, inspection of gas masks and blackout procedures!?
Bjorn Magnusson the Viking or Earnwald the Saxon:
As settled invaders, their ancestors came over to this land many years ago.
Let these characters retell stories and riddles as told by the ancients round camp fires, tales of Viking Gods or King Alfred's campaigns against Guthram the Viking Warrior.
Find out how to build and sail a Viking Longboat. Learn about 'Blood Feuds' and the payment of 'Wergeld' and 'Danegeld'.
Children will love finding out about these turbulent and frightening times.
Henry Wakefield:
A hardworking Victorian work colleague and good friend of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. As an engineer himself, Henry worked alongside Brunel on many of his greatest achievements including; The Thames Tunnel, The Great Western Railway, The SS Great Britain and The Clifton Suspension Bridge.
Let Henry tell you about Brunel’s childhood, his family and schooling as well as the amazing perseverance shown, despite the many problems and dangers he had to overcome to design and build such amazing feats of engineering.
Eddie the Explorer:
Eddie loves travelling the world and finding out about life in different countries.
France, Spain, Africa, China, India and the Polar Regions are just a few of the amazing places Eddie has explored.
Let Eddie know the places you're learning about and he could drop by on his return to the West Country.
Eddie can also make links to stories or real life adventures from far away places such as Shackleton's Endurance Exhibition across the Antarctic or Micheal Morpurgo's 'The Butterfly Lion' covering South Africa, France and the UK.
Eddie is especially popular with YR, KS1 and lower KS2 classes.
The Jolly Postman:
‘Once upon a bicycle so they say, a Jolly Postman came one day, from over the hills and far away!’
A really popular, interactive session for EYFS or KS1 with tales of delivering parcels and letters to a variety of Nursery Rhyme and Fairy Tale characters.
Professor Robert Jones:
(Egyptologist/Archeologist/Paleontologist/Dragon Expert)
(The original Indiana Jones?) will come to your class to tell you about his experiences as an Archaeologist and Egyptologist to get your Ancient Egyptians topic off to a great start. Egyptian myths, ancient gods and a re-enactment of a mummification will really get your children excited about your new project!
Professor Jones can also visit to tell you about Dragons, Dinosaurs, as well the lives of people in the Stone Age. Homes, cave paintings, animals and the secrets of the Ice Age and Stonehenge can be shared in an interactive session.
Jed Nurdle:
The Tudor Courtier will help you get your Tudors project off with a wow!
Henry VIII has just died and his reign is over so Jed is ready to tell all – the Kings favourite hobbies, his many wives and of course, those tortures and executions!
Jethro Knuckleskull:
A favourite for KS1 or lower KS2. He is the servant of Samuel Pepys. He will have your children fully engaged by his tales of the Great Plague of 1665 and of course the Great Fire of London in 1666.
Having been the family servant for many years, he has found parts of Mr Pepys' diary so has lots of information to impart using audience participation to help him do so.
Eddie the Explorer:
A modern day Explorer who is a relative of one of the crew on the famous ‘Endurance’ Antarctic Expedition led by Sir Ernest Shackleton.
Find out about the coldest and windiest place on earth, frostbite, penguins, life at the South Pole now, and how Shackleton’s crew managed to survive against all the odds.
Captain Hook
(Peter Pan)
Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock....... Look out for the crocodile!
Captain James Hook will tell you about his quest to find Peter Pan and the story of The Darling family, The Lost Boys and their adventures in Neverland.
'Follow the Leader' to find out more!
Alex Carter
(Intelligence Officer/Spy)
Ask Agent 101 - Alex Carter to drop by to your school in-between top secret missions!
Hear what it takes to be involved in 'esionage', try out some skills and decrypt a message.
Learn about daring tales of spying during WW2 to ensure the country is safe.
OTHER CHARACTERS INCLUDE:
Wizard (Harry Potter)
Knight (Castles)
Storyteller (Beowulf)
Sir Dudley Montague-Carleton
(Raleigh/The Tudors)
Learn all about Sir Walter Raleigh's life from childhood in Devonshire to being the queens favourite at court.
Hear Sir Dudley 'dish the dirt' on rivalry at court as well as pastimes such as jousting, hawking and Elizabethan dances.
Find out about Raleigh's serach for the legendary city of gold - El Dorado and his quest to set up overseas colonies for the crown.
Raleigh had his faults but
he was a dashing, daring and brave explorer, writer, poet, soldier
and sailor - an example of the Elizabethan hero in a Golden
Age'.
Astronaut:
Don Thomas, retired NASA astronaut, will come to your class and tell the children all about weightlessness, astronaut training and a host of other fascinating and entertaining information for your Space and Beyond project.
This character can make links with stories such as 'Bob, Man on the Moon' or 'Whatever Next'
Mr Grinling
The traditional Lighthouse
Keeper who lives on the cliff edge in a small white cottage with a
very clever wife and a mischievous cat called
Hamish.
Naughty, scavenging seagulls, scrumptious picnic lunches and avoiding catastrophes are all regular events in the daily like of Mr Grinling, his wife Hattie and Hamish the cat. Let him tell you about Mrs Grinlings many clever plans to help overcome the problems they face.
Bananaman:
Let
this superhero tell you about his strengths (and
weaknesses).
Bananaman will also help get your children fit and ready for action with some ‘superhero PE training’ as well as some storytelling, singing and dancing along the way.
The session concludes with an interactive story explaining why each, and every one of us, is super and good at something.
Andronicus Alexiou
(Ancient Greeks)
Need a fully armoured Greek Spartan Soldier to train your warriors so they're ready for the march to the battlefield?
Learn about the differences between the Spartans and the Athenians as well as Gods, medicine and superstitions.
Crimean War Soldier
(Florence Nightingale topic)
Find out about Florence's life and legacy.
Learn about the her time in Scutari helping the injured soldiers in the battle for Crimea.
Buzz Lightyear
To ininity and beyond!
Need an intergalactic Space Ranger to train your children in being Superheroes?
This session is deal for
your topic on Toys or Superheroes. It includes: training, songs and
games as well as a story that reinforces the message that we're all
heroes as everyone is good at something
!
OTHER CHARACTERS INCLUDE:
Giants' Expert
Storyteller
(Somerset Folk Tales)
Noahs Ark Or 'The Other Ark
Bjorn Magnusson: (Viking)
Find out how to build and sail a Viking Longboat.
Learn about why the Vikings came to Britain - was it all about stealing? Were they really that horrible!?
Mr Twit:
(Roald Dahl)
After trying to catch some birds with his 'hug-tight' glue Mr Twit is found in the school grounds.
Invite him in to your class or hall and hear about his childhood and the many tricks Mrs Twit and himself play on each other.
Food infested beards and squiggly spaghetti - a real juicy treat for KS2 or the whole school!
Cyrus Nebulon
(From the year 3000!)
Let Cyrus time travel to your school and tell you about the future.
Learn about the terraforming of other planets, future superfoods, transport and advancements in technology.
Tommy the Victorian Toymaker or Entertainer
Tommy used to work in his Grandad's house making wooden toys before big machines and factories came along.
Let him share some of the toys he has made and play some games that he played as a child.
For KS2 children you may prefer Tommy to share his expertise as a Mind Reading Marvel with an amazing memory!
Mr Reginald Squires
(Victorian Headteacher)
Need someone strict and with good old fashioned Victorian values to take over the class for a while?
Invite him in to take the register, monitor any truancy or lateness and instruct your class on the 3Rs.
Let's hope no adults who are supporting the class misbehave and end up wearing the dunce cap!
George Stephenson Topic
Learn about George and Robert Stephenson's life.
Hear the story of how 'The Rocket' won The Rainhill Trials.
Find out about the first steam locomotives. and how they could carry passengers too.
OTHER CHARACTERS
INCLUDE:
Christopher Columbus
Sir Walter Raleigh
King John (Magan Carta)
Highwayman
(Crime and Punishment)