GRAB your spanners! Pupils at St Mary’s Primary School had the chance to try out their mechanical skills thanks to staff at a vehicle service centre.

Taylors of Great Dunmow made the short trip to the school to take part in a host of activities to support the children’s learning modules on transport.

Business owner Jayne Taylor and mechanics Paul Layzell and Joe Langley arrived in a Renault Clio and an Aston Martin DB9 to show children the various parts of the cars, change a tyre, and let them learn how it all works.

Mrs Taylor, who owns the company on the Chelmsford Road Industrial Estate, with her husband, said: “We got a call from Jacqui Atkins at the school and they invited us to come along – we were only too happy to help.

“Paul and Joe sat down with the children and passed around spark plugs, brake pads and all sorts of bits from the car to show them how each bit worked.

“The children absolutely loved it and we are hoping that it might become a regular thing for us.”

Teachers at the school also got a treat as the DB9, worth more than �110,000 sat in the car park. They had the opportunity to climb in get a picture or two.

Mrs Atkins thanked Taylors and said: “Everyone loved the experience, and afterwards the children pretended to be mechanics in class by making their own pretend tool boxes and fixing cars they had made from large cardboard boxes.”

Mrs Taylor said that the company is committed to helping out in the community, and they take part in a host of events in the area including the Dunmow firework display and carnival.

She added: “Only last week we were in Great Saling with a Land Rover full of balloons for the village fete. We are also helping the NCT with their event coming up in a few weeks. We get a buzz from it.

“The highlight of the school visit to me was when one of the young girls dashed away from the queue back to her class and came to give me a big hug to say thanks.”

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