12:00pm Saturday 21st July 2012
By James Dwan
PUPILS got an early introduction to the ballot box as part of a fact-finding trip to a town hall.
The pupils from year three at Clacton’s Alton Park Junior School, who are aged eight and nine, got the chance to visit the chairman’s parlour at Clacton Town Hall.
They were given a talk by Tendring Council chairman Danny Mayzes, who explained how councillors are chosen to represent their communities.
“It was a very soft touch introduction to voting but they got the chance to put an X against their favourite colour and slip it into the ballot box,” he said.
“Slightly different to choosing their councillor, but it gave them an idea of how the process works.
“They showed a great deal of interest and told me about what they had found out on their tour of the theatre.”
The youngsters were also shown around the Princes Theatre, which is situated in the town hall, where they learnt about lighting, sound equipment and all the facilities needed to stage a professional show.
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