Stonehenge is Mrs C Eckler’s favourite place ever. She says it’s best at winter solstice when it’s dark and cold and quiet. At summer solstice there are too many tourists. I check my watch. It’s 9:00. My hair is cornrowed tightly against my head and I’m wearing my long-sleeved white tunic and matching trousers to keep me cool. All eighteen of us hold hands in the Chrono. Big Ben’s on my right; Mrs C Eckler’s on my left. Big Ben sneezes and I feel sorry for him being outside in the field in the middle of summer. His hayfever gets quite bad but thankfully he’s OK when he’s running or leaping. Mrs C Eckler makes sure I’m wearing my leap band so I don’t get leapsickness. It works like a travel-sickness wristband but looks like a gold bangle.

‘Close your eyes, everyone,’ she says, ‘and concentrate on the Museum of the Past, the Present and the Future. Allow us to guide you to the landing spot.’

She means the adults. None of us pupils have been to the museum before. I feel my body go fizzy with energy and squeeze Big Ben’s hand tight. He enjoys the excitement of leaping and so do I, but my sensitivities kick in so I always find it challenging. Hopefully the leap band will work this time. At least it’s only leaping through space, not through space and time. Mrs C Eckler clears her throat.

‘We’ve arrived. That only took a few seconds. Well done, everyone. You may open your eyes but please remain holding hands.’

I slowly open my eyes and blink. Our circle is surrounded by a much larger circle of stones obviously based on Stonehenge, except these stones look like giant ice cubes. Not the clear ice cubes you’d put in a drink, they’re cloudier than that, but not totally white like snow blocks either. They dazzle so brightly, I have to squint to appreciate them. They look like they’re melting in the sun but when I touch one, it’s totally dry. Then I get it. This is an outdoor sculpture to symbolise global warming.

Our visit will begin in the 1752 Gallery, which is in the basement. The museum arranges everything by floor, so when you enter at ground level it’s The Present, which changes annually, then each level you go up, it gets more futuristic. They even have a Chronophone that an explorer brought back from 2440; it’s made of materials no one’s invented yet! Big Ben starts to climb the spiral staircase two steps at a time with his long legs because he’s excited about the far future artefacts but I pull him back. We have to follow the plan and the tour begins with the past. I look down at page one of the itinerary; I’m on it!

9:15 The 1752 Gallery Introduction: Mrs Zhong