Two Colfox students took an early Easter break this week but they wont be idly eating Easter eggs and watching too much telly.

David and Hannah Linford and their dad Tim agreed to give up a week of their holidays and find the money to go to Gambia to help with an exciting project involving international music and Bridport's cluster schools.

Burton Bradstock School head David Powell has been one of the people instrumental in setting up the exciting project with children in the Gambia, India and Chile through their music and culture.

Coming from Burton Bradstock David and Hannah are both ex-pupils of his and he knew their strengths. Sixteen year-old David will be using his computer expertise to make links with the two schools in the Gambia and 14 year-old Hanna's musical ability means her role will be talking to the children and listening to them play their music.

"We will be taking letters from the children at Burton and Thorner's schools over with us" she said.

David said: "We are taking recording equipment with us and hopefully we will be able to make recordings of the music and make some videos as well and depending on the facilities we hope to get something on the world music website."

Dad Tim is a consulting engineer and as such computers are part of his work but he claims he is just there to look after the children.

None of them have ever been to west Africa before and although they have been doing a bit of research they don't know really know what to expect - although they have made a shred guess that the weather will be much better.

David received a small grant of £100 from the Sir John Colfox Trust but otherwise they have funded the trip themselves, although just as they left Mr Powell received the good news that the Performing Rights Society has awarded the whole project £4,100 - which will go towards the technical equipment to record for the website.

Dad Tim said; " As far as we are concerned it's a holiday with some work attached!"

They have had some help making the right contacts in the Gambia from Musa Mboob, a member of the One World Band, which has already been playing to and inspiring pupils in the cluster schools.

If you want to see how the project is progressing you can look up the web-site on www.dorset-lea.org.uk/clusters/bridport/

Rene Gerryts