Friday 8^th March marked the first day of British Science Week. To celebrate, we took our one and only Mobile Telegraph Station (aka Poppy) to meet students at Penwith College in Penzance as part of their Career Fair Day. Although a cold wind was blowing across the campus, this did not deter the students from braving the elements to come and meet our ‘little red bus’.

Very aptly, the Career Fair was happening in the Porthcurno building. With some amazing reversing skills by our incredible Poppy driver (you try to manoeuvre a 6-tonne vehicle with no power-assisted steering!), Poppy was happily positioned outside the building and the doors flung open to welcome the students on board.

We did not have to wait long before the first students arrived, eager to take a step back in time to the 1950s and imagine what it must have been like to work in this very narrow, mobile telegraph office. Many took a seat behind the wheel and donned the red busman’s hat, providing the perfect selfie opportunity.

There was also the chance to race each other using our Cable Game, designed and built by our amazing volunteers. Students took turns trying to quickly input the correct Morse code for letters of the alphabet, watching as their lights chased each other along a fluorescent tube to see who the winner would be. It became quite competitive.

It was great to have the chance to chat with the students about the museum and our volunteering opportunities. Poppy proved to be a huge hit with both the college students and staff, and I am sure she will be making the trip to Penwith College again before too long.

If you would like to meet Poppy, she will be parked in the Porthcurno car park for the Easter Holidays. Keep an eye on our website and social media for more information.