The Co-operative Wholesale Society

Today I met up with my photography pal and we visited Beamish Museum. 'Beamish' as it is known locally is a superb open air museum which gives an insight into life in England in Georgian, Victorian & Edwardian times. It covers an enormous area and has a mine, pit village with original school & church, a small farm, a manor house and a small town. Trams & period buses link the various exhibits passing wonderful scenery. Throughout the museum are volunteers and paid staff in costume undertaking tasks and chores which were typical of the period. This shot was taken in the Co-op from about 1913. It like all the shops we visited was a delight of sights, smells & sounds. It's quite a few years since I last visited but today I bought an annual ticket as it is a haven for photographers and I will certainly be returning soon.