Lessons were a load of rubbish.

MUSIC lessons for pupils at a Sunderland school were a load of old rubbish back in 1972.

But pupils were perfectly happy with the situation after teacher Mr Peter Monk devised an instrument made of pieces of old iron and metal suspended from a wooden frame. His idea was based on a "chang", the earliest known instrument which was devised thousands of years ago by the Chinese.

Mr Monk's version was made using a poker, a 15-inch bolt, piping, a ball race, flanges and the tops of bicycle bells.

The chang was an instant hit with the pupils at South Hylton school, who used it to compose a number of tunes.

Hilda Hargrave, 14, pictured with the chang, was one of the pupils to get creative on the instrument.

See Ray Marshall's blog on www.tyneofourlives.co.uk To buy any of our photos, log on to www.chroniclelive.co.uk/buyaphoto or call (0191) 201 6001

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