Claires Memories of Techniquest Glyndwr

The world has shut down in the last few weeks and months. Lots of visitor attractions have closed due to Covid-19 and the threat it poses.


Most of these places are expecting to go back to their attractions after movement restrictions are lifted. Xplore! is a bit different, we were moving from our current site on Wrexham Glyndŵr University campus on the 20th of April.


It is now safe to say we will never again open the doors of our Glyndŵr Discovery centre. When we return we will be based in our brand new science centre in the heart of Wrexham and while that’s exciting and new it is a bit sad as well.


With that in mind we think it would be lovely to share some of our staff members feelings, emotions and memories.


I’m Claire, I’ve worked at Xplore! (formerly Techniquest Glyndwr) since 2005.


Looking back at my time at Xplore! I’m reminded of many happy memories and wonderful people I’ve met and worked with. I remember the first time we had the inflatable planetarium at the centre and bringing my sister and brother in law along to see the new ‘toy’ in work. I was excited to play with and present inside of the dome.


I remember being shown all of the exhibits and thinking there was no way I’d remember how to solve them all! Thankfully I was able to explore them and was able to share the information with visitors.


One week after my induction I was presenting my 1st public show “Mad Musical Instruments”. I can still hear the theme tune, luckily I’d done a music themed demo for my interview, which was similar to one of the show demos, that didn’t help the nerves of presenting to a room full of families for the 1st time. After the show I got the bug for presenting, every audience brought something different to the shows.

My current role doesn’t involve much presenting but more the co-ordination of shows and staff training.


The last public show I presented to a family audience was The Dinosaur Show, it had been a long time since I’d last presented and those 1st show nerves came flooding back! I’m looking forward to seeing how shows in the new theatre come to life.


Thinking over Halloween events always makes me smile, remembering all the costumes of staff and visitors, putting facepaint on visitors, the shows with extra set dressing and decorating the zones,

I do remember one year my colleague staining most of zone 2 yellow with turmeric when presenting bleeding pumpkin demos in there. Halloween was usually followed by a staff gathering in the centre all while still in costumes, making for some funny photos.


Each week working at Xplore! has been different, with highs such as meeting Tim Peake as part of an outreach, many funny memories such as watching a group of toddlers jumping up and down on the front door mat, trying to make the doors open as they had seen happen in toy story, the day Storm Troopers walked into the building to explore the exhibits


There are a few lows, saddest being losing a colleague and friend, it is something that we will never forget and there are things he taught us that will stay with us forever, we still pass his knowledge onto future generations in the shows we present.


As I’ve worked for Xplore! for a long time, I have been able to experience watching my colleagues grow in confidence and expand their skills. Some of the staff have come to the centre on school visits (I may have presented to their group!) and have returned as staff some then moved onto other work based in STEM industries or into Education and they are now using skills, dreams and interests I have passed onto them.


I could talk forever about the things I remember from working at Xplore! but I’ll finish by saying that I’ll miss our Glyndwr site and am sad to move away from somewhere that I’ve been working at since 2005 but I am also looking forward to the new start that the move to Wrexham town centre will give us all.

I look forward to seeing you there!