A university lecturer put Fenland students in the picture about how to look at everyday things in new ways.

Speaking in a series of twilight talks aimed at pupils, parents and staff, David Bramston, from the Lincoln School of Art and Design, urged his 40-strong audience at Wisbech Grammar School to think differently about design and not be afraid to challenge convention.

Addressing his audience, he said: “If you were required to dream up a new-look lawnmower, you should cast your eyes over bicycles, hospital porters’ trolleys or pushchairs and be prepared to think outside the conventional box.

“You should employ new words for things in order to avoid stale thinking - labelling a lunch box a fodder sack could be the recipe for a radical new step forward in design.”

The next presentation in the series, on Wednesday, is by Jes Fernie, curator of the ‘History rising’ exhibition at Wisbech & Fenland Museum.

She will ask the question, “What are you looking at?”.

The lecture runs from 4.10pm to 5.10pm in the school’s Dwight centre.

Entry is free and more information is available from organizer Jane Missin at 01945 583631.