SENIOR SCHOOL

Year 9 visited The Black Country Museum as part of their investigation into the Industrial Revolution. They were transported back in time, as they explored the reconstruction of a 19th and early 20th century landscape, peopled with characters in costume who enthusiastically recounted their lives to us. Although it was an idyllic day, it was clear that life then was unremitting hard work, often in hot and dark mines and workshops. A trip on the canal boat highlighted the way in which developments in transport transformed industry. MSJ volunteers had to ‘leg it', which meant using their legs to propel the boat along by walking sideways on the tunnel wall. The trip down the mine was an exercise in avoiding very low ceilings, walking gingerly in the darkness and gaining an insight into the dangers and sheer grind of a miner's life. The chain maker demonstrated his skill and the girls were told about the women chain makers' strike in 1910. Year 9's consensus is that it was a terrific day. The variety of experiences gave them a great insight into the daily lives of people toiling in an industrial landscape 150 years ago.