What a fantastic day was had by all on our visit to the Black Country Museum. The weather was superb! We were first of all met by our costumed character who explained to us what it was like to live and work in one of the world’s most heavily industrialised landscapes. We then visited St. James's School where children were tested on their times tables and backwards alphabet in a 1912 school lesson. It was then time to explore original period shops and houses before some children and staff sampled the museum’s famous traditionally 1930s cooked chips. Both groups, during the afternoon, enjoyed descending on foot ‘into the thick’ of the underground drift mine and faced the harsh reality of a coal miner’s life in the mid 19th century. The Victorian Fairground was certainly a huge success where children enjoyed spending their tokens on rides and left over money on refreshments. A fantastic day was had by all and once again the children did us proud.

Mrs Russell and Mrs Slatter