We started our visit outdoors where a Challenger Mark 2 battle tank is displayed. Normally this may not have stirred much interest but we had an expert within our midst by the name of Kim Hills, who is a former tank commander no less. He shared his wealth of knowledge and experience with us about his time in the 2^nd Royal Tank Regiment and the ‘workings’ of the Challenger. This is the UK’s main battle tank (MBT) and the first hand examples he had chosen gave us a real insight into the practicalities of a 4 man crew (commander, driver, gunner and loader) living in a tank for up to four days. One of the most critical issues is to have a reliable supply of food, fuel and ammunition on a daily basis - not to mention ablutions but you can picture the scene for yourself!

Inside the museum a series of rooms contain collections of items. There were some fascinating things on display including old valve and vacuum-tube based TVs as well as long-superseded communications equipment. There were rooms containing furniture, household items, and models wearing clothing from various decades over the last century. These are museum relics now but most of our group had used them in our lifetime! There were models of bridges and various transport types as well as full-sized engines and the steam turbine driven Turbinia on display on the ground floor. In one room the history of Newcastle population was charted using Census data to show population growth and immigration over the decades. A key element of the Discovery Museum is that it is hands-on with many touch-screen displays to provide data as well as things to touch and play with. This is great for kids and grown-ups alike.