A MUSEUM dedicated to eastern culture helped youngsters celebrate the Chinese New Year at the weekend.

Durham University's Oriental Museum held a snake-making workshop for children on Saturday to mark the Year of the Snake.

Celebrations were held in the city earlier this month, organised by the Durham Chinese Association and Durham City Forum.

At the weekend, young visitors used their ingenuity to make model snakes and other wriggly creatures out of a variety of materials, including old socks.

The museum is holding an open day on Saturday, between 10am and 5pm, again on a Chinese theme.

A spokeswoman said: "The day will provide a combination of talks, dem-onstrations, craft activities, story-telling and performances by Chinese and western enthusiasts, including members of Newcastle's Chinese community, university students and professional artists.''

The day will include talks about Chinese gardens and dragons, craft activities, including paper cutting, calligraphy, masks and lanterns, and stalls and demonstrations.

The day is sponsored by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, so admission is free, although there will be a small charge for some activities.