From Puff The Dragon To The Bradbury Zone At Techniquest.

As Techniquest celebrates its 40th anniversary on 4th November 2026, we’re looking back at a connection that began long before TPS360.

In 1988, our Managing Director Darren Watkins was one of eight first-year ICI apprentices at Pontypool College who spent six months helping design and build Puff the Pneumatic Dragon for Techniquest.

The idea came from Techniquest’s Development Director, Ken Gleeson. Working with the college’s engineering department, the apprentices helped turn it into an exhibit that visitors could operate themselves, pressing buttons to move Puff’s wings and mouth.

The newspaper cuttings in our video show the apprentice team with Puff in 1989 and the dragon on display at Techniquest in 1999. Some former visitors may remember having a go.

Returning To Techniquest With Project Solutions

In 2025, our Project Solutions team returned to Techniquest for a different kind of project. As principal contractor, we converted the open second-floor West Terrace into the Bradbury Zone, creating a space for exhibitions, workshops and events throughout the year.

The work included a new steel frame, roof, cladding and internal fit-out, all delivered while Techniquest remained open to families and school groups.

For Darren, attending the 40th anniversary celebrations brings those two chapters together. He first contributed to Techniquest as an apprentice. Nearly four decades later, the company he leads has helped create a new space for its visitors.

Darren Watkins, Managing Director, TPS360

Watch The Story Come Full Circle

Watch the video below to see how the story came full circle.

Happy 40th birthday, Techniquest.

Archive images from the South Wales Argus, 17 March 1989, and mono, 15 October 1999.