IT'S full steam ahead for a fabulous summer holiday at STEAM - Museum of the Great Western Railway.

The Museum in Swindon is hosting a series of summer activities for youngsters during the long break from school.

Summer camps will be held each Wednesday during the holidays (10am-12.30pm and 1.30-4pm) starting on 2 August.

Camps are for four to 11-year-olds and include arts and crafts, circus skills, parachute games, face painting and drama. And while the youngsters are having fun at the camps mum and dad can wander round the Museum or visit the neighbouring designer outlet shopping centre.

To book a place on the camps call the Museum. All summer camp co-ordinators are CRB checked and NVQ qualified.

Meanwhile, throughout the summer holidays the Museum will have quiz trails for families to enjoy.

The Museum is a must for railway enthusiasts however it also provides a social history of the area telling the story of the men and women who built, operated and travelled the Great Western Railway.

STEAM has an education programme closely linked to the National Curriculum so youngsters can learn as well as have fun during a visit to the Museum.

This year STEAM is celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Isambard Kingdom Brunel with on-going exhibitions to be seen during the summer holidays.

The "Brunel and the Battle of the Gauges" exhibition tells the story of the struggle surrounding Brunel's broad gauge and the standard gauge used by other British railway companies.

STEAM has recreated Brunel's 18 Duke Street office featuring the great man at his desk, surrounded by drawings and equipment.

Brunel, the engineering genius behind the Great Western Railway, shaped Swindon's future and the town's glorious railway heritage. In creating virtually every aspect of the line between London and Bristol, Brunel built the world's first high speed rail network and created routes and landscapes still used and seen today.

Swindon Borough Council cabinet member for leisure and culture, Cllr Justin Tomlinson, said: "STEAM is a fantastic place to visit with so much to see and enjoy. Youngsters will have fun without realising they are learning about a vital ingredient in our local history. This is especially apt as this year sees an amazing celebration of the life of Brunel. And of course, STEAM is fabulous if it rains - it's all indoors."

STEAM is hosting several more events later this year which are bound to delight its younger visitors. The Great Western Lego Train Show and Day Out with Thomas both take place this autumn.