Astronaut becomes urban spaceman.

AN ASTRONAUT who travelled into space four times landed in Wirral to talk to children about science. Major General Charles Bolden spoke to schoolchildren at the Spaceport in Seacombe including 250 students at Birkenhead Sixth Form about the excitement and problems of space travel.

In 1990 the US marine piloted the space shuttle mission to launch the Hubble Space Telescope He said: "Going into space is awesome. "Every 45 minutes it's daylight then dark then daylight then dark.

"Then you are in space and there's no gravity - it's cool." The former test pilot who spent nine days in space for one mission explained to delighted pupils exactly how astronauts go to the toilet and how it felt to return to the earth after a flight.

He told pupils: "I want everyone to realise you should never let people tell you what you can and can't do.

"If someone tells you you can't achieve something you have to say, 'Watch me'."

CAPTION(S):

IN SAFE HANDS: NASA astronaut Charles Bolden with pupils of New Brighton primary in the Spaceport's Wormhole. RIGHT: In his flying days Main picture: EDDIE BARFORD