On our way up to Newcastle to pick up Maren and Mike, we stopped at Beamish, an old mining town which is now a living museum with people dressed up in costume at the school, mine, old candy store, etc.  I really enjoyed seeing what was up on the walls of the schoolroom.  (maps, plants, animals, historical events)  The cupboards were filled with snakes in formaldehyde, butterflies, bugs, and reptiles.  Kids would be intrigued with these objects.

The smell of coal permeates the area.  We went into the mine and heard about the life of miners.  Many boys started as young as 8 years old.  They would use boys to push the heavy coal carts, or to open and shut the heavy wooden doors.  Because they used dynamite to blast the coal off, many men went deaf and many lost their lives.  It was a terrible life, but it paid a wage which was hard to get in those days.