History Themed Day with Aunty Brenda/Uncle Fred

A full day of immersion in museum led activities and self-led exploration on a History theme. Your class will meet Aunty Brenda or Uncle Fred and find out about living in a mining community and go on an underground tour led by a former miner.

Please note this workshop will be unavailable Jan-Mar 2025

This would be especially suitable for KS1 students.

Day would be 2 x 45 minute workshops in per class in the morning or afternoon and underground tours in afternoon or morning.

The location would be Parkinson’s Yard.

Basic Information

Pupils meet Aunty Brenda in the backyard of her terraced house in 1972. Pupils handle objects and listen to Aunty Brenda’s stories of growing up in a mining community.

Breakdown of session

It is 1972 and pupils meet Aunty Brenda as she is in the middle of packing her belongings in preparation to move from the pit village where she has lived all her life. Aunty Brenda shows pupils around her terraced house (museum set) and tells them stories about living in this pit village, referencing the passage of time and how things have changed. She shows pupils her rag rug, which models how objects can tell us about the past. Pupils work in small groups to select objects and images from a box that they think Aunty Brenda should take with her when she moves to remind her about her old life. Brenda uses their responses to recall more memories about her family and illustrate how life has changed.

Links to curriculum

KS1/2 History

• Local history study (significant aspect of history or site from period beyond 1066)
• Changes within living memory
• Significant people and places (miners and pits) in their own locality
• Historical enquiry skills – how we find out about the past and how interpretations are constructed

Useful information:

• We are only open Wednesday – Friday for on site bookings (Virtual Workshops are available on Mondays & Tuesdays)
• We have capacity for a maximum of 2 classes per school, per day.
• Schools will need to request an enquiry form using the ‘Enquire’ button to the left, submitting details of your visit and 3 preferred dates in order to book. We will then contact you as soon as possible to confirm.
• Lunch space is included and will be exclusive to your school.

Did you know that we also offer Virtual Workshops in a variety of topics that can be accessed from your classroom? Topics include Meet a Miner, the Victorians and Rocks and Fossils.

You can also use our downloadable resources to aid your pupils learning before and after your visit.

Email our Bookings Assistant, Sharon, on bookings@ncm.org.uk to enquire.

From June 2024, our schools bookings prices have had a slight increase, the first in three years. We have scrapped booking fees and introduced a streamlined price package which includes facilitators, learning resources and lunch rooms (if required) for 30 students. Additional students will incur a cost per child. Any bookings made prior to this point will be honoured at the original price.