On Friday 24th January, we went to the Victorian Museum in Reading. First, we met Richard and went upstairs. He put on a hat and went back in time and became Joseph, the Head Gardener at the Nethercott’s house. We then got to dress up as different workers – laundry maids, a chimney sweep, footmen, fire lighters and Lord and Lady Nethercott.
The Head Gardner got us to do different jobs; Jessica O., Jessica, H and Phoebe were the laundry maids, Adam was the chimney sweep’s climbing boy, Rowan, Isaac and Jacob were the footmen and Eloisa and Toby were the firelighters and William and Lottie were Lord and Lady Nethercott.
Afterwards we went to Victorian school and were given a copybook and some ink. Mia got the Dunce’s Hat and we recited the dunce’s poem ‘Dunce, dunce double D, you don’t know your ABC’. At the end, Elliott got the cane, the highlight of most people’s day, and then we got the coach back to school.
By Jessica O.
It all started on Friday 24th January, right at the start of the year. On our first trip of the year, we drove to Reading as part of our Victorian history topic to learn about what how life was different in Victorian times compared to ours.
First, we were greeted by our first instructor, Richard. Then he acted as a Victorian servant, also Head Gardener called Joseph. He selected us to do different roles: there were the footmen, laundry maids and the fire lighters.
Later we got to act as Victorian school children. We had to speak like Victorians and work like Victorians. We even got to do some Victorian literacy.
By Rowan (Form VI)
