Little Miner

We have had such a wonderful day at the Black Country Museum with Nanny.
It's been over a year since we last went and I've been keen to get back.
It was freezing but we wrapped up and had a fabulous day.
It is such an interesting, evocative place.
We saw the first ever steam engine - and tried and failed to explain to the Little Misses that everything we take for granted started with that invention, sat in front of the roaring fire in a cast iron house, had hot chocolate in a Working Men's Club.
We had fish and chips from the 1930s chippy which were yummy. Gluten free batter for Miss L and she was giddy to be able to have fish and chips with the rest of us!
We went down the coal mine and had a taste of the darkness and unspeakable conditions which people worked in, starting from five years old.
The Little Misses have been warned that we may send them down the mine if they don't behave!
They wore hard hats and were very brave in total darkness and being rocked by a huge explosion!
We played in the street with old fashioned children's hoops. Miss E has much improved her technique since last time and ran about for ages rolling the hoop brilliantly!
We went into the school and the Little Misses had a taste of how school would have been in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.
The volunteer gave a lesson as it would have been which was probably quite an eye opener for the Little Misses. The teacher was mean, shouty, belittling and quite scary. 
Miss E found it particularly amusing when Daddy got hauled up to the front of the class for failing to know his Catechism, had to read some of the school rules aloud and then go and stand in the corner!!
We recited times tables, practised handwriting on slate tablets, did sums, sang hymns and watched a naughty pupil get the cane.
The Little Misses decided that, on balance, they quite like their school!!
 As usual we didn't see half that there is to see. All the more reason to go back soon. When it's a bit warmer!