MORE than 1,000 first year students at Holy Cross College enjoyed a broad spectrum of activities during a two-day enrichment event.

The wide programme ranged from conservation projects, competitive Scalextric problems, and trips out, which included visiting London and watching West End shows such as Mamma Mia and Miss Saigon. Some students also toured the Harry Potter studios while the PE department visited Wimbledon.

Staff also took students to the Lake District to visit Wordsworth's Dove Cottage and to a photography course in Southport. More locally, trips were run to the Chill Factore and the newly renovated Whitworth Art Gallery while there were a variety of cycling tours around Bury.

With a list of more than 50 events to choose from, the students could also opt into "in-house" events such as popular psychology, a half day workshop covering hypnosis, handwriting analysis and participation in a lie detector test.

Some opted to learn how to build a computer while others took on the economy in "Who's the Governor?", learning about the world of macroeconomics and monetary policies.

Event co-ordinator Jennie Fairclough explained: "We feel that alongside a strong academic profile, it is essential that our students develop a range of interpersonal skills whilst studying at Holy Cross.

"We want to provide a broad spectrum of opportunities to place skills and learning from the classroom into real life contexts. Employers and admission tutors require students to evidence their skill-set and these kind of events provide students with a platform to do just that."