MOSI; the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester...

A little bit more backtracking again...this time, back to Manchester and MOSI. This is a huge museum, so huge in fact that we visited it over 2 days.

Mill machines from various stages of the Industrial Revolution were on display. They were very large and perhaps the most interesting ones were the ones that provided power to a mill...very ingenious. 

Here's a machine that powered a mill that produced flannelette sheets...

One particular part of the museum that I enjoyed walking through was the Textiles area...of course this is what Manchester was known for...

Raw cotton that has been cleaned...

Weaving demonstrations ran regularly and the machine would weave 3 inches in approximately 2 minutes.  We were told that a mill could have up to 500 such machines working quite long days...lots of cotton fabrics produced each day.

A sample of one of the designs printed on fabric

These were some blocks that had been used in fabric printing...

Another view of the 'mill floor' where the demos are done...

Interestingly the cotton fabrics were not on rolls but folded up and tied up in bales ready for export.

MOSI's Textiles Exhibition had me enthralled but it was the big locomotives that caught DH's attention...the collection was pretty varied and there was even one old engine giving rides...

This next loco is a lot younger...

A mural painted on the end of on of the huge brick buildings that make up the MOSI...

There weren't just trains...on the lower level near the entry was this replica and people were encouraged to touch this plane...it was just fabric stretched over the frame! 

On the second level there were lots of 'hands on' activities designed for children...a bit like the Sciencentre in Brisbane ( most museums have these areas set aside for education).

I was particularly taken with one activity...raising a mini by turning a handle....

I waited patiently for my turn...

But those kids kept coming...so we had lunch instead! Lol

Talking of cars, the museum had a collection of early cars...all beautifully restored...

The old cars shared space with aircraft....

Motor bikes...

This is only a small section of this museum, so you can see why we ended up going back on a second visit.