SCHOOLCHILDREN from Southend were among a select few from across the country to have the chance to interview astronaut Tim Peake on board the International Space Station (ISS).

The 30 pupils from Thorpedene Primary School were selected from 4,000 schools across the country which volunteered to participate in the Cosmic Classroom.

In total, 200 children from 12 schools visited the World Museum in Liverpool on Tuesday for the 20 minute video link with Mr Peake on board the ISS when they asked him what it was like to be in space.

To take part in the Q&A session, organised by the Times Educational Supplement, each school had to send in a video of pupils asking questions to a camera and judges then decided which were the best and should go on to take part in the video link.

However, Kate Moneypenny, deputy head at Thorpedene, explained that as the video link was only lasting a short amount of time, due to the speed of the ISS in orbit, not all the children were able to ask their questions.

She said pupils who did not have the chance to speak would be able to ask their questions via Twitter and Facebook instead.

Topics discussed included how he eats, drinks and goes to the toilet in space and the effects of gravity in space compared to earth, as well as how he keeps fit, as he is set to run the London Marathon from space in April.

Mr Peake also gave a demonstration of how he drinks, while he also touched his feet after the children had done the same on earth, stood up and sat down.

Miss Moneypenny said: “They were a bit in awe at having a live link up with him. They laughed at his jokes and cheered when they saw him on TV. This was a one in a lifetime chance for them.”