Apart from a very modern problem – a traffic jam slowing us down, Year 3 travelled back in time to live a day in the life of a Victorian child. We started with a training session from Florence Nightingale herself, showing us how to wrap wounds correctly and then explored a Victorian Farmhouse. After a quick break we were off to meet Ethel the Scullery maid where we were put through our paces using a mangle, a dolly, an iron and doing some folding for the people living in the “Big House!” Next we learnt a lot about Victorian shopping, pulling a milk float and calculating totals using shillings and farthings. Our last stop before lunch was a trip to the school house where the fearsome Miss Fisher drilled us in the 3Rs and explained the importance of the British Empire. The afternoon was spent trying to avoid recruitment to be sent down the mines, up a chimney, or to become a crossing boy (a rather unpleasant task)! Finally we enjoyed a peaceful half hour making rag rugs – keep your eyes peeled for these as Christmas presents! We decided that life in the Victorian times was fairly exhausting, and probably pretty chilly!

The children were all fantastic and it was a brilliant, interactive start to our new topic.