Bringing History to Life at the Black Country Living Museum
Posted on: 02 Jul 2026
On Friday 19 June, colleagues from English and other departments took Year 8 to the Black Country Living Museum for a fascinating day of discovery and fun. The small group tours around the many shops and buildings on site provided a deeper insight into Brighouse's iconic play 'Hobson's Choice' which students had recently been studying.
Posted on: 02 Jul 2026
On Friday 19 June, colleagues from English and other departments took Year 8 to the Black Country Living Museum for a fascinating day of discovery and fun. The small group tours around the many shops and buildings on site provided a deeper insight into Brighouse's iconic play 'Hobson's Choice' which students had recently been studying.
Students learned what it was like to live in the late 1800s, the experienced tour guides were full of anecdotes, wisdom and historical perspectives. One tour guide, John, recited a sonnet which he had written and sang a rousing song outside the restored chapel. His insights into real life in industrial times left a deep impression on us.
We also enjoyed an illuminating tour of the colliery and saw a live 'gas show' which involved explosions! This gave us a tangible sense of what it might have been like to work down a coal mine. The day was wrapped up in the authentic fairground in which students experienced the kinds of amusements that a teenager might have enjoyed a few generations ago. The day, overall, proved to be both educational and enjoyable in equal measure.
