Show stoppers

Record numbers of childcarers and teachers flocked to this month's Early Years and Primary Teaching Exhibition at the G-Mex Centre in Manchester (10-11 May). Visitors were faced with a busy day if they were going to make the most of nearly 130 stands along with free workshops and a packed seminar and training programme.

Nursery World's stall was deluged by early years practitioners wanting to get hold of the magazine being sold at a bargain exhibition price along with popular Nursery World bags - one nursery bought 30 to be used as children's peg bags in their cloakroom.

Among the regular exhibitors including Dickory Dock Designs with fabric storyboards, Hope and Galt's toys and furniture and the butterflies of Insect Lore - was a new educational service for children aged three to ten at the Big Bus stall. Subscribers to the internet site receive new interactive learning activities for children each month. Jo Lewis said, 'We've had a fantastic response. There were two children on the stall this morning whose parents had to pull them away because they were enjoying the site so much and didn't want to stop playing.'