Magna ...........

....... is an old steelworks in Sheffield which is now a science museum based around the steel industry.

The place is fantastic and there is no problem with you taking pictures - even with a tripod.
It is a shame i didn't have a tripod with me because the majority of the place is very dark.

On one of the walkways there are damned great spotlights that you can use to pick out areas like the huge hooks on the ariel cranes.
That brought memoies from many, many years ago when I was taken down to shipyards in Aberdeen to see my Grandfather driving one of those cranes.

There are four interactive areas (mainly for the kids - but great fun for us big kids too) - Air, Water, Earth and Fire.
The Air and Water areas are in very colourful modern 'pods', but the Fire one would probably have given them problems to do the same .......the fire tornado (which is about 20' high) is damned hot.

One demonstration which is not to be missed is the reconstruction of a "melt".
A "melt" was when they loaded up a crucible with scrap metal (everything from nuts and bolts to girders etc) and melted it down for recycling.
Obviously they can't do it for real since they place closed in the 1990s - but they put on commentary along with a bit of a light show and plenty of flames and fireworks.
And the noise .......................
The whole place shakes (even with a tripod there would be problems).
Although I bet it was a damned site worse when it was being done for real.