This week we had some visitors for Voices on BBC Radio Derby's Shane O'Connor show - not just two pupils from St Martin's school (Daniel and Chanelle) but two bat experts and two very small, very live bats!

Since we're installing some bat boxes (and bird tables) as part of the reconstruction of the school play area, it seemed a good idea to organise a bit of a feature on bats.

Now being a protected species, bats are not so easy to lay hold of! After much searching we discovered that Margaret Thurgood from the Notts bat group has a couple of rescue bats, which she brought to show us.

Daniel and Chanelle take a close look at a baby bat with Margaret Thurgood

Richard Sandbach, who's a Derbyshire bat warden joined us, and brought with him some recordings that had been rendered audible to our ears.

BBC Radio Derby's Shane O'Connor goes batty!

The kids were fascinated, and went off armed with information from the internet, as convinced bat-protectors of the future.

Otherwise we've been working on taking a class to a chocolate factory - since BBC Radio Derby's mid-morning team are heading for Thornton's on Tuesday 8th - you can hear Shane and his team between 9-12am as they work their way through the processes - and probably the stock..!

And watch this space for news of a photography competition shortly. We'll be asking you to turn in snaps of your neighbours- wherever you live. Might as well take advantage of a spot of sun!

And do have a look at the Voices neighbourhood noticeboard - especially if you'd like to publicise a project in your neck of the woods, and might like some help or materials. It's at your disposal.

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