We have launched!

The children have now finished their great adventure and invite you to follow their time traveller's trail!

Download the trail here

Huge congratulations and thanks to the Secret 12: Orien, Roja, Liam, David, Shannon, Harmony, Cara, Logan, Victoria, Cameron, Zac and Meleka. They have done an amazing job and been an absolute pleasure to work with. Thanks also to Lakenham School, especially Miss Harben, to Kathy and John at Norwich Castle and Jo and Rachel at Heart, as well all our guides and helpers at the Norwich 12 buildings who have helped make the project happen.
FOLLOW THE TRAIL!

The Secret 12's Time Travelling Trail

Because the story we made up for our assembly was so good we added Professor O to the trail and have called the Secret 12's Time Travelling Trail...

Our Party!

By Project Leader Roja, aged 9

We also performed the assembly to the Mayor! Then we got in the newspaper for the 3^rd time! We saw the trail at the castle where we had our party, and at the party we had biscuits and juice. We also got a chance to see a the Mayor and talk to him, as well as seeing his car. As summary, we had lots of fun doing the Norwich 12, and we hope that you do to!

Making our assembly...

By Project Leader Roja, aged 9

Since we have been travelling through history, we thought of the idea of a time machine. As Professor O leads the children through time, they discover the history of old Norwich. We made our own song up, and made the tune the ‘Robin Hood’ theme. Everybody had to say facts about their own building. Then we performed it to the whole school!

Busy, busy, busy

It's been so busy there's barely been time for blogging - poster making, trail signing off, assembly creating and rehearsing! Watch this space for the trail launch next week!

We planned an assembly for our whole school

Story board planning, we've made up a story about a time machine

We Illustrated...

Our illustrations of the buildings are being added in to the final trail

We met the Designer

One of the draft designs. We made decisions on layout, colours and content

Castle Trail Planning

By Project Leader Roja, age 9

We went to the Castle and we started to choose what we wanted to put in our trail. We split in to 3 groups, editors, historians and artists. The historians wrote down the facts and the editors improved it if necessary. The artists drew the pictures that are going to be in the trail. Then lastly we discussed what our opening blurb would be, the editors had already written something so we discussed where it needed improving. 

Re-cap after Half Term

By Project Leader Harmony

When we met Roxanne at school the Secret 12 sorted out what order the buildings should go in from oldest to newest. Then we sorted out which buildings each one of us should have, I have the Forum, which is the newest building in the trail! I'm glad.

The Secret 12's Adventure Continues...

The Secret 12 have now finished their visits and are working hard to make a trail for the public to follow their adventure, it will be available in the Tourist Information Office and all Norwich 12 venues from 20th July 2012. See how they get on with the trail design, layout, text, pictures and the planning to take their entire school round the trail and present their journey in an assembly of their own making. Its going to a busy half term! They even get to meet the mayor at the end.

The Forum

By Project Leader Harmony

The Forum was our last place to visit, because it is the newest. We saw the memorial library with little toy planes, a big quilt in the Library and we watched a film on the big screen and we saw how the light gets around the big pillars. We even explored in the car park where there are places to charge cars. A man called Richard took us around, he was very nice.

St Andrews and Blackfriars Halls

First we went in to a big hall and there were lots of beautiful windows, one was from the original building, monks used to sing in here. We also went to the crypt where monks slept and the cloister where they were quiet and prayed.

A cool view of the East window at Blackfriars

Norwich Cathedral

10th May by Project Leader David, age 8

Today we went to Norwich Cathedral. First we saw some amazing peregrine falcons nesting and looked through the telescopes. Next Rod took inside to a little green meadow where the monks from long ago are buried and the press photographed us! Then we saw a stood up grave of Thomas Gooding, finally we voted for our object, and then we went back to school....

Read the press article David mentions here

A Secret 12 Poem by Shannon

Project Leader Shannon commemorates the adventures of the Secret 12 with a poem of her own inspiration!

We are the Secret (Norwich) 12

We like to dig and delve

Into the history of the

city, in which we dwell

Secret 12 Norwich 12

We like history

We like history

So should you!

The Assembly House

Post by Project Leader Zac, age 8

The Secret 12 looking at the ceiling rose at the Assembly House

When we got to the Assembly House we met John and Roxanne, then we went inside. On the ceiling there was a thing called a ceiling rose. Then we went in to the next room, it had something secret about it and lots of parties had happened in the room. One party was about Nelson and his victory! Nelson beat the French and the Spanish.

Then we went in to another room which was made for dancing, a family once owned the room called the Nouveres. They had two daughters, we don't know their names.

The Three Dragons won when we had chosen our objects and voted! 

Cameron, Roja, Orion, Liam and Zac wait patiently on the Music room stage to plug their selction for the object that will represent the Assembly House in their new trail.

The Secret 12 hear the story of nelson's vistory party, you can just make out the flag blocks put in place for the occasion on the blacony.

A relic from the old building, a shield of the Browne family from the old church of St Mary's at the college of St Mary's in the Field, once on the site of the Assembly House.

The Guildhall

Post by Project Leader Roja, age 9

The Secret 12 checking out those small stones between the big stones

Last Monday we went to the Guildhall. We met a lovely lady called Sophie and she showed us around. First of all we saw the city badge, made out of marble on the floor inside, the Guildhall was covered in the city badge!

Next we went to the front and saw little stones between the big stones which tells us it is old. When we looked up we saw two knights holding the badge. Then once we went upstairs we saw a meeting room where important decisions were made.

The group who won the Guildhall were the Discovery Detectives! After we had chosen we visited the dungeons and Sophie put us in and turned off the lights for one minute. It was so much fun! Then we had to leave and say thanks and good bye to Sophie.

Liam and Zac in the old Mayo's seat about to persuade the rest of the Secret 12 that the thing they chose to represent the Guildhall was the best!

The Great Hospital

10th May. Post by Project Leader Orion, age 8

Harmony, Cara and Orien

First we went to the cloisters and the person that showed us around was called Maureen. Some of us ran around outside the cloisters, they are the smallest ones in England.

Next we went to a room with dragons like the ones in at Dragon Hall and there was a special machine - the goose quarterer it was called. It was used to quarter geese, speaking of which we went to the swan pit.

Anyway, then we strolled to the place where everyone lives, we told them all about us and we had drinks and biscuits and talked to the people. Then we went to where everyone used to live with a special ceiling with eagles on and tiny rooms inside. We just had enough time to go the history room.

Post by Project Leader Harmony,

7th May by Harmony, age 8

When we went to the Great Hospital we saw some tadoples and a big pool for the swans but there aren't any swans there now. We saw some of the people who live there, one of the ladies told us that one day she thought she saw a monk, like a ghost, she got someone to go back and see but it was only someone dressed up. She then told us that she used to work in part of the Great Hospital and she really liked it and then they gave us juice and biscuits!

St Johns Roman Catholic Cathedral

Visited on 17th May, post by Project Leader Shannon, age 8

The Secret 12 with education officer Jo Anderton at the font

Today we went to the Cathedral of St John the Baptist, it was very fun, we saw lots of things you wouldn't expect including a man's face made of stone with his tongue sticking out!

St James Mill

Visited on 14th May, blog by Project Leader Shannon, age 8

Today we went to St James Mill and we met a lady called Caroline and she took us round the building. We heard about why is was built and what it was used for, we counted the windows and we heard some ghost stories! The mill was a factory that made cloth but now it isn't.

Surrey House. The Secret 12 Praised by Guide

Project Leader blog coming soon but here's some feed back we got from our latest visit from the lovely Philip Budd, Security Officer and Tour Guide extraordinaire at the Marble Hall, Surrey House!

Extract from a letter to the Head at Lakenham Primary....

Today I had the pleasure to meet a group of 7 year olds under the supervision of Ms Harben.

I was the person who showed the group around and felt compelled to write to you.

Your pupils are a credit to your school, they were very polite, listened intently, asked lots of great questions and conducted themselves better than all the 12-15 year olds we have had here.

This was the youngest group I have shown around and it was an absolute pleasure to show them Marble Hall.

It made my day thank you.

Regards

Philip Budd (Security Officer Marble Hall)

Wow, Go THE SECRET 12...It's true, they are brilliant...

Dragon Hall

Day 4, by Kameron, Project Leader, age 7

I went to Dragon Hall today. First we had a a look at a model of the Hall. The real Hall is 600 years old and built my Mr Toppes.

We went underground, then we saw treasure chests which were locked . It was really cold, then we went to the next room underground and I wondered why there was a door! Then we went back up to Dragon Hall where we saw the real dragon. All the other 13 dragons had been thrown away in the river, the dragons have something to do with Saint George we think. Before we chose the winner we looked at all the other stuff. I smelt the smelling stuff, the first one smelt like shampoo, the second one of fish.

Day3. The Castle by Zac, age 7.

First we got into groups and walked to the Castle. When we arrived at the Castle the first thing we did was go to the keep room. The keep room, also called the great hall had different objects in, which were related to the castle and its history. I thought the most mysterious object was the ring. The ring was found under the castle floor and we don't know who's it is, thats why it is so mysterious.

After that we all went up the stairs and looked at the kitchen, the stains were very freaky. After a while we looked at the toilets which were very weird. After we got into our project groups we picked an object, my group chose the well because it had changed a lot and it had water and water is very very important. 

Then we went downstairs and had a vote on the best thing.

(You'll have to wait and see what they chose to represent the Castle in their trail)....

Drum Roll Please....

After brainstorming on Tuesday the kids have worked with teacher Ms Harben to decide on a name for their adventure and their project....'The Secret 12: Histories and Mysteries'. Good choice. Looking forward to next Monday at the Castle for our first site visit. What object will they chose?

Day 2. Objects and Buildings

By Orion, Project Leader. Age 8

On the second day on the project (Tuesday 17th April) we had lots of fun.

First we thought of names for our project which we haven't quite decided yet!

Secondly we got some items and tried to guess what they were, it took a while and some people guessed the same thing!

We looked at an old cooker that was 800 years old and something that generates heat in a lap top. We looked around the Lakenham Primary School building and chose our favourite thing or object to talk about.

The first day of the project by project leader Roja, age 7...

Firstly we learnt each others names by playing a game. Then we talked about the 12 buildings we are going to visit. Also we discussed what our favourite buildings were and what we know about them.

After that we got in to groups of 3 and chose one of the buildings, we wrote down facts and questions about things we'd like to know.

Next we watched a video about all the 12 places we are going to visit. Some of the buildings we are going to visit are: Norwich Castle, the Forum and the Great Hospital.

And so we begin

This is the one and only post I'll put up. From today the children take over.

Yesterday we started out on our adventure. 12 children from Lakenham Primary School are now leading the project, alongside LivingNorwich director Roxanne Matthews, Castle Museum staff Katrina Siliprandi, Kathy Moore and John Simpson Wedge, top city guide Rod Spokes and staff at Norwich 12 venues. They will discover the wonders of 1000 years of Norwich history, unearthing choice objects and architectural features that tell the story best. Its no small task. They will visit 12 Norwich buildings representing the city's long history since Norman times. Through their eyes we'll see the story of the city in new and exciting ways, and help other children and families engage in the city's buildings, their secrets and their histories.  Together they will produce a trail which will be available at the Forum by the end of July 2012, so you can follow in their footsteps. We hope you're excited. We are!

Watch this space for the children's pictures, comments and commentaries on the project.

Thanks to Heart (Heritage Economic and Regeneration Trust) for funding the project through Shaping24, without whom it would not be possible.

We'll keep you posted
Roxanne Matthews
LivingNorwich