CHILDREN took part in a seasonal search for all things connected with Christmas at the weekend.

The Old Fulling Mill Museum of Archaeology, in Durham, staged the event to allow children to examine different aspects of the Christmas story.

Youngsters aged from six to 12 took part in the activity day, called The Great Search for Christmas.

It saw them performing a range of tasks, from making camels' eyes, looking for Rudolph's red nose and even learning a Christmas carol in Latin.

Museum education officer Jim McCaffrey said the youngsters were asked to play detective and archaeologist.

"We set them a Christmas quiz which had them looking for artefacts among the Fulling Mill collection.

"It was loosely based on the Christmas theme, but it involved them searching for answers around the museum."

The Fulling Mill, on the riverbank beneath Durham Cathedral, is open today, from 11.30am to 3.30pm, before its seasonal shutdown.

It re-opens on Friday, January 7, also from 11.30am to 3.30pm, with opening restricted to Fridays to Mondays during the rest of the winter season.

Published: 20/12/2004