Encounters with pandas, family reunions and magic dolls all feature in Manchester Airport’s new ’Little Book of Travel Tales’.
Including stories written by children who have flown through the airport in recent times, the free book has been launched to celebrate World Book Day, and the airport has printed 5,000 copies which will be handed out to children travelling through over Easter, as well as to pupils visiting the AeroZone education centre.
MAG – which owns and operates Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands airports – put out a call for submissions last year and received hundreds of entries, which were whittled down to winners from nine schools;
• Didsbury C of E Primary School, Stockport
• New Moston Primary School, Manchester
• Queensgate Primary School, Stockport
• Ringway Primary School, Wythenshawe
• Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Wythenshawe
• Stockport Home Education Community, Stockport
• St Paul’s C of E Primary School. Manchester
• Grewelthorpe C of E Primary School, Ripon, North Yorkshire
• Westoe Crown Primary School, South Shields
One of the selected stories tells the tale of a panda-obsessed girl called Emily, who wins a competition to travel to China and see her favourite animal in the wild.
Another recounts the adventures of a mischievous toy doll called Dolly, who escapes the suitcase she has been packed into whilst in the hold of a plane and befriends a teddy, before finding – and eating – a whole box full of crisps.
Poems submitted include an entry from nine-year-old Noah about the various jobs at the airport, and another by 7-year-old Milose about seeing a plane in the night sky and wondering about where it might be travelling to.
The book also contains puzzles, wordsearches and a range of other fun activities to keep youngsters occupied whilst they wait for their flights.
Manchester Airport’s Head of Education, Skills and Employment, Marcella M’Rabety, said: “We were blown away by the quality and variety of entries we received for the ‘Little Book of Travel Tales’ and are very grateful to participating schools and their pupils.
“Literacy is a vital skill and World Book Day plays an important part in encouraging children to discover the joy of reading and writing. We were keen to support World Book Day through our education programme and tapping into youngsters’ enthusiasm for travel and adventure felt like a natural fit.
“I know the pupils involved all had a great deal of fun writing the stories and poems, and I hope our passengers get just as much enjoyment from reading them.”
The ‘Little Book of Travel Tales’ is part of a wider programme of education and school outreach work that Manchester Airport is engaged in. AeroZone, an on-site educational centre, was opened last year by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham. It provides a mix of teaching space and interactive zones, including a mocked-up plane cabin with real seats and a cockpit, complete with flight simulator. It is available for school trip bookings for primary school pupils across the North.
Meanwhile, the MAG Connect Airport Academy provides dedicated support to the long-term unemployed and other disadvantaged groups, offering free training courses and skills workshops in partnership with Trafford College, making over 4,000 job referrals last year.
To find out more visit www.manchesterairport.co.uk/education.
