Gloucester Folk Museum
Key Aims:
What was life at home like for people living in Victorian Gloucester?
How have our homes changed from those in the past?
This hands on session is split up into two parts, allowing pupils to get a flavour of a Monday morning washday and life below stairs in a big house.
Outside in the garden, pupils will explore the tiring and time consuming process of doing the washing in the days before electric automatic washing machines. Using a washboard, soap, tubs, dollies and a mangle, pupils will wash and wring out our laundry and then set it to dry using Victorian pegs. Pupils will then be invited to smooth out the creases using the heavy Victorian irons to properly finish off the washing. The traditions behind washday Monday and its impact on the family day will also be explored in this wet,soapy and very hands on session that actually takes place on the site of Mrs Potts’ wash house.
Back inside at our Victorian style kitchen with its range, rag rug, dutch oven and kitchen table, pupils will examine the kitchen utensils and equipment that would have been familiar to the young kitchen maids of the big houses across Gloucestershire and the rest of the country. From nutmeg graters to lemon squeezers, spice spoons to apple corers and of course the delightful hot cross bun cross maker, your pupils are bound to inspired and amazed by what they can see and handle. As well as discuss the objects themselves, we will also explore what can be determined about Victorian society and their way of life from the evidence the objects present.
Why not make it a Victorian day?
To get the most out of your Victorian themed visit to Gloucester Folk Museum, why not also book a Victorian Classroom or Victorian toys session, or if it’s the right time of the year a Victorian Christmas session. Sometimes it is possible to run these sessions simultaneously to allow you to bring multiple classes for a full Victorian experience. Just to get in touch with us for more details and to make the arrangements.
You can phone us to book or for more details on our Educational Sessions on: +44 (01452) 396868 (Gloucester Folk Museum) and +44 (01452) 396131 (City Museum & Art Gallery) or use our online booking system by clicking here http://www.glrcm.co.uk/Login.aspx|