A group of blind and partially sighted students from across the country came to Bristol University to take part in a special summer school.

The university's Centre for Access and Communications Studies provided the course in conjunction with the School of Chemistry and the Department of Physics.

The students ranged in age from their late 20s to 80 plus - from all walks of life. Some have been blind since birth, while others became blind or partially sighted later in life.

The students travelled to Bristol from across the country, as the university is the only place to offer such a course in science.

Throughout the five-day course, the visually impaired students were each accompanied by a volunteer sighted guide.

The course began with a day and a half of practical experiments to discover, for example, how to make chocolate melt in the mouth but not in the hand. They also made a range of slimy and bouncy materials and investigated electroplating using talking thermometers and voltmeters and other equipment invented by university staff.

For the rest of the course the students were given talks on the structure of the atom, how atoms bond with each other and how this helps our understanding of how minerals are formed.

In addition, there were lectures on perfume, how to make the perfect ice cream and the life of Albert Einstein.

The students also toured the Cadburys factory in Keynsham and the Cotswold Perfumery at Bourton-in-the-Water.

Dr Dudley Shallcross, Reader in Atmospheric Chemistry in the School of Chemistry, said: "This summer school has challenged my approach to teaching chemistry in a very positive way. I have enjoyed and valued the experience."

Dr Vincent Smith, Reader in Physics in the Department of Physics, who co-organised the event, said: "It is always a pleasure to work with these students, who have a very positive attitude to their learning."

Claire Wickham, Director of the Centre for Access and Communication Studies, said: "Overall the feedback from the students was uniformly excellent."