This museum is a fantastic example of the twenty-first century in action. Across six floors you'll find an array of exhibitions and galleries which help show the ways in which media and technology have developed since film, television, radio and other digital forms were first conceived. The best thing about the museum is the interactivity: this is anything but a boring "read and walk" museum with nothing but pictures and information to inform you; rather the museum is packed with things to touch, do, play with and - of course - learn.

Parking near the museum isn't always the easiest thing and like most cities, driving into Bradford isn't the nicest experience, particularly during the remainder of the rush hour traffic. However once we'd arrived at the museum the lovely open, bright space of the foyer was extremely welcoming with a spacious café to offer a little refreshment before setting off to explore. The café was a little expensive and unfortunately there wasn't much to eat for someone with a gluten intolerance. However for those with no such restrictions there were some nice cakes and sandwiches to offer a bit of sustenance with a cup of coffee.

After this brief respite we began to wander the ground floor which, at the time, had a very enlightening display about the internet. Under the floor, beneath perspex, were computer monitors and other pieces of hardware to illustrate the way the internet has developed and transformed over the last twenty years. This went hand-in-hand with the 6th floor gallery which asked some thought-provoking questions about the internet and its future, particularly the ways in which democracy and freedom are being affected as the internet evolves further. There was a very interesting video-recording station entitled "Read Aloud" which asked people to read a line from their favourite book. It wasn't quite clear though that this would later be projected on a huge projector just around the corner so I would caution anyone who doesn't like to be on camera to beware any such activities! A rather amusing clip on the screen showed a woman reading while her son - unbeknown to her - mooned the camera in the background and would no doubt have caused her some embarrassment!

Elsewhere the permanent exhibitions explore television with a lovely collection of old TV sets to show how the medium's progressed over time. However the best part of this exhibition is "Experience TV": a newsdesk, where you can sit, read the autocue and pretend you're Huw Edwards; a green-screen where you can stand and see yourself on TV jumping out of a plane; and finally a sitcom set where you can sit on the sofa and see yourself in various positions on camera with your friends playing Director and Camera Man if you so wish. It's a great experience for adults and kids alike, although if you visit during a busy period you'll have a tough time getting a chance to use any of these.

Another great part of the museum is "TV Heaven" where you can watch a TV episode or two from a massive catalogue of archived shows going back sixty years. The booths take up to 5 people but groups can book in advance and sit in the 39-seat auditorium to watch an episode together. It's a nice way to sit down and put your feet up after walking around for an hour or two.

As well as these experiences there are several other areas with more detailed galleries showing artefacts from famous TV shows and with information about how such shows are made. If you've got enough time or are in Bradford for a day or two, the museum houses both regular cinema screens and an IMAX where you can view the most recent film releases. On the sixth floor you see into the IMAX projection room and see the equipment in action - something that might be very useful for students who are looking at media or film for A Level courses.

Overall the Media Museum is a super experience and really illustrates how far the world of digital media has come in the last 100 years. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and will doubtless be returning again to see the next round of temporary exhibitions which, if they're anything like the ones we saw, will be thought-provoking, interactive and informative. The museum has great facilities for individuals and groups and I would recommend it to anyone in the Bradford area.