This week the Discovery Channel have been filming at Caldicott, and it was really good that after lunch they showed us a couple of spectacular effects that they use - a flame thrower, and a plastic-bottle-bomb. I will let the boys tell the story - thanks to them for getting the reports to me so quickly. Picture by A Breeden.

Today in our science lesson we were briefed that we would have an amazing experience later. After lunch this, we were told, would involve fire and explosive gases. Sounds good, and so it was. We went down to Knots Field and met Neil. He has been here for the week filming crash test dummies. The first thing he showed us was a home-made flame thrower, and he explained the dangers of doing this: in gas cylinders there is liquid gas at the bottom in a much higher concentration (much more flammable). Turn it over and your flame is twice as strong, good for flame throwers, we found out. He also made a bomb with two gases and an ex-party-popper. He had a long fuse which we all thought he would light so we did not cover our ears and so we got an earfulI Mr Nunn with a flame thrower looked rather scary and we did not go near him as his aim was suspect. It was a great experience and we all enjoyed it

L Flanagan (12.05)

On Friday the 14th during rest all the 6th form went down to Knots Field to see a man called Neil demonstrate a flame thrower. He started off with a big flame thrower which made a huge flame and filled the air with gas and was extremely hot!

Then he had a small one which had a gas called cetylene mixed with oxygen and was very bright. With this flame he managed to cut an old metal school desk in half because the flame was really small so it just focused on one point. I would like to thank him for giving up his lunch break to show us this.

A Elsey (13.00)

Just after rest today the whole of the Sixth Form went down to Knots Field to be shown a flame thrower and an explosion. Neil, one of the people making a film for Discovery Kids, took the liberty of showing us these items in his lunch break! First he showed us the flame thrower which used just ordinary camping gas, butane, turned upside-down so instead of a gas you got a liquid. It then went to the main chamber and ignited to make a massive fireball.

The explosion used cetylene and oxygen, and an Orangina bottle. That answered the mystery of that loud bang earlier. It was just Neil experimenting. Finally, much to the dismay of the teachers, he welded through an old desk! Everyone in the 6th form I’m sure found it very interesting, and all are anticipating the the tv show.

R Beeching (12.06)

[Note: Cooler in this case is nothing to do with the flame temperature. I'm told it means good in modern parlance!]

On Friday after lunch the Sixth Forms went down to Knots Field at Caldicott to see a demonstration of a flame thrower. There were two types of flame thrower, one that was basically a safety flame on a Bunsen burner but in great expanse this was so cool. Even cooler was a flame thrower that was concentrated and was so hot it could burn through metal. So guess what he did - a demonstration of fire cutting through a table frame. This was really interesting and thank you to Mr Nunn for organising this.

O Bone (12.05)