Day 286 - October 13th

Today I went with Lara's class on a Victorian Day in Hitchin.

Their day began with a visit to The British Schools Museum. They were given a Victorian lesson in the stepped Victorian Galleried Classroom built in 1853. The teacher was very strict! The children had to read from texts of the time, write in copy books with a pen dipped into an inkwell, write on a slate with a slate pencil and learn about pounds, shillings, pennies and farthings.

I took my little compact camera with me and was able to take a few photos during the lesson. I think I'm OK to post this one as my photo of the day because it doesn't actually show the faces of the children. (Lara is on the right with a navy blue bonnet next to two little girls in white mop caps.)

In the afternoon we walked to Hitchin Museum where we saw some strange Victorian artifacts and learned how to polish shoes and do the washing (Victorian style) and got to play with Victorian toys.

It really bought history alive and I would have loved to have done something like that as a child. I was lucky to have been asked to go with the class on the trip and share in the experience.

All the children dressed in Victorian costume for the trip. Rather than try and make something myself I cheated and bought something from that well known auction site! Lara posed for some photos before we left for school.

I bought two different hats. A mop cap that I thought was particularly cute .....

........ and a blue bonnet. Lara choose to wear the blue bonnet.

I didn't know that Victorians had Nintendo DS's did you?