Take part in historical spelling bee for children

Source - news release from St Albans Council on 21 Jan 2013

Children can show off their skills in spelling historical words in The Ragamuffin Spelling Bee competition at the Museum of St Albans on Saturday 23 February.

The spelling competition is open to children aged 8-13 years and starts at 2pm. The rules are simple. In turn, each child is given a different word to spell. If they spell the word correctly they remain in the game; if the word is spelt incorrectly they can no longer participate. The game continues until one speller remains. 

Children can build up their knowledge of the words that will be used in advance. They can either download them from the museum’s website at: www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk or take part in the museum’s Extraterrestrial Knickerbockers Holiday Club from 18 to 22 February.

To enter the spelling bee, please call 01727-751810, or register in person at Verulamium Museum, in St Michael’s Street or at the Museum of St Albans in Hatfield Road. Spaces are limited so do be quick. The entry fee is £5 per child. Spectators can come along to the spelling bee for free. The winner and the runner-up will receive a prize and a special mention on the museum’s website and in the newsletter. 

Councillor Mike Wakely, Portfolio Holder for Sports, Leisure and Heritage for St Albans City and District Council, said: “Children can test their knowledge of words that are linked to different periods of history by taking part in this fun spelling game. The words range from ‘amphitheatre’, describing a Roman stadium, to ‘ragamuffin’, the Victorian term for a child dressed in ragged, ill-fitting, dirty clothes.”

More information about the spelling bee, the rules and the words that will be used are available on St Albans Museums’ website at: http://stalbansmuseums.org.uk/What-s-on/Events-Calendar/Ragamuffin.

If you are interested in the Extraterrestrial Knickerbockers Holiday Club, more information is available on St Albans Museums’ website at: http://stalbansmuseums.org.uk/What-s-on/Events-Calendar/Knickerbockers