Celebrate Chinese New Year at Coalport China Museum
Dress-up in red to encourage good fortune and go along to the Coalport China Museum, near Ironbridge during half-term between 21st and 25th February to celebrate the Chinese New Year of the Rabbit.
The museum will be taking on an oriental flavour with a series of hands-on family activities marking the New Year's arrival.
Join drop-in ceramic workshops and decorate a mug or trinket box with blue and white transfer patterns featuring dragons and flowers inspired by China, or put your artistic skills to good use and try painting an oriental ceramic flower. There's also a chance to play with the Shadow Puppet Theatre, solve Chinese puzzles, read storybooks, make a wish on the wishing tree and follow a Chinese Zodiac trail around the museum; activities will vary from day-to-day.
The half-term workshops at Coalport China Museum will be held from 11am until 1pm and 2pm until 4pm; ceramic activities carry additional costs with items sent home after firing.
Tile Decorating at Jackfield
Let your creativity side develop further and join an informal tile decorating workshop at Jackfield Tile Museum, also being run during half-term from 21st to 25th February. You'll learn the technique known as 'tube lining' or 'slip-trailing' to produce a 6 x 6 inch tile featuring your own design in a range of beautiful colours. The price is £7.50 per tile (p&p extra to have your tile sent home after firing) plus the museum admission fee. Workshops start from 10am, but allowing up to 1½ hours to decorate your tile, last admission is at 3.15pm.
A Passport allowing entry into Coalport and Jackfield, plus the other eight Ironbridge Gorge Museums valid for 12 months and multiple return visits costs £21.95 per adult, £17.60 for the 60 plus, £14.25 for students and children, and £59.95 for a family of two adults and three children, under 5s free. Single admission tickets are also available from each of the museums which are open from 10am to 5pm. For further information, visit ironbridge.org.uk. The Gorge is easily reached via the M6 and M54 motorways exiting at Telford (M54 junction 4 or 6).
