Ripon MuseumsThe Yorkshire Law and Order Museums |
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Ripon MuseumsThe Yorkshire Law and Order Museums |
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"It has been the worst day of my life, because one minute I was with my mum at home with my sister and brother and the next I was on my own in the workhouse. The only reason we are here is because of my dad, he wanted to feed us so he stole some bread. The police caught him and he was transported to Australia. Later on we lost our house, as we had no money at all, so all of us went into the workhouse, we had nowhere else to live. I feel very sorry for my mum, she has to cook, and wash clothes with wash boards and dolly plungers. The clothes have to be twisted round for the soap to come out and help them dry. Then they have to be hung out to dry." Clare.
"My family were crying because we had no food and no money, so my dad went to the shop and stole some bread. He was sent to Australia. We had no house or money so we went into the workhouse. We met the master and matron. My mother was crying because we got sent away from her. We had to go into the schoolroom and learn about letters and words. We see our mum once a day, I can tell she misses us very much." Toni.
"My family and I have just moved into the workhouse in Ripon. My dad has been transported to Australia because he stole some bread for us to eat. My brother, sister and I have been separated from my mother and we could hear her sobs echoing as we were walking down the corridor to the nursey and the children's part of the workhouse." Naomi.
"This is the worst day of my life. My dad has been transported all the way to Australia because he stole a loaf of bread. You would not want to be here in the workhouse. we have been split up from our mum and only see her once a day. Will we be able to go home soon please?" Thomas.
"This is my second day in the workhouse, and we have to go into the school. We use a quill pen and dip it into the ink well, we have to learn copy writing. The teacher is very strict, if we do the slightest thing wrong we get shouted at." Luke.
"Today is a horrible day as my dad has been transported to Australia and I have been separated from my mum. My dad was transported for stealing a loaf of bread for me and my sister because we were so hungry we were crying. It's not the first time he has stolen something though, he has done it before but we lost our house because of it which I dont think is fair." Kyle.
"Here in the workhouse the school department is very strict indeed, you cannot talk or the consequences are very bad. I like writing lessons though, as I am very good at learning." Jonathan.
"It's not so bad now I have been here for two days, I don't feel so sad anymore. The food tastes nicer now I've had it twice. I still miss my dad in Australia, though we'd all be a happy family if my dad didn't steal, but we would all be starving. My mum works in the nursery so she can see my baby brother now. I feel happier now I'm used to the jobs and lifestyle." Paul.
"I am writing to say thank you for the lovely day we had on Wednesday. The amazing experience will stay with me always. My favourite part was when we did the rag rugging because now I have something to do with my old clothes! It was a new experience and I have already started a rag rug with my mum. The Courthouse Museum was good. I enjoyed doing the role play because it was another good experience and also I got to be the judge. My last favourite was the school room, even though Mrs Bushell threatened to use the restrainers on me! It was really good fun and the experience will stay with me forever. If I would give this trip a score out of ten I would give it a 10!" Laura (age 10).
"I am writing to say thank you so much for inviting us, it was a lovely day. My best thing in the Workhouse; well I can't really say because I liked all of it! The rag rugging was exciting, but it was hard. I liked beating the carpets it was fun. In the schoolroom I liked writing with pens in the style of copper plate it was great. I liked the Old Courthouse because I love doing role plays. I thought it was cruel to go to Australia for 7 years. The boy was only 7 years old and he had only stolen a loaf of bread. In the Police Museum I liked whacking the shield with the truncheon. On the quiz I got 14 out of 14, it was fun. I liked it when we got locked in the cell." Savannah (age 9).
"I am writing to say thank you for the great trip on Wednesday. I enjoyed beating the carpet because I haven't done it before. I liked how you pretended to be like Victorian people. When I first stepped in the museum I liked the school because I liked the pens and the seats because they folded up. I will remember all of it. I liked the Court because I stole a loaf of bread and I learnt a lot of new things. The Police Station was good because I hit a shield and I got to wear two helmets. The group that I was in got locked in a cell. The policeman showed us the exercise yard and showed the place where they got whipped and if people were ill they would pull a handle and the number would stick out and a bell would ring." Hamish (age 9).
"I am writing to say thank you for such a wonderful trip we had on Wednesday and I really enjoyed it. My favourite experience was rag rugging where you have to poke bits of rag through a square of sacking. I really enjoyed it because I like art and it was a new experience. My favourite experience was also in the schoolroom when David got caned and he also had to wear the dunce hat which kept falling off. I also enjoyed Copperplate handwriting. My third favourite experience was in the Old courthousewhere we had to act a case where a boy stole a loaf of bread and got transported to Australia for seven years. If I were to give this trip a mark out of 10 it would be 10." K (age 11).
"I am writing to say thank you for our Wednesday visit. When I first came inside it just made me laugh but then I realised it was serious. I enjoyed the washing in the laundry because it made you understand how hard people worked in those times. I enjoyed the schoolroom because children who didn't listen got caned or had to wear a dunce's hat. I enjoyed the Old Courthouse because I enjoyed how we learned that a boy got sent to Australia for 7 years for only stealing a loaf of bread." Angelika (age 10).
"I am writing to say thank you for letting me have a Victorian-like day. I enjoyed the whole day but the best part was the role play in the Courthouse when I was the policeman. My other memory is the quiz at the Police Station. The best part of the Workhouse was rag rugging because I thought it was a good idea using old clothes for material for rugs." Jake (age 9).
"I am writing to say how fantastic the museum visit was, I enjoyed every minute of the day, even when I had the dunce's hat! There are three memories that I remember. The first was acting as a criminal because it felt like you were actually there. The second was doing the quiz at the Police Station. The third was the Victorian school where you wrote different styles of writing. When we first walked in you had to act strict but realistic and you did that perfectly." Ross (age 10).
"I am writing to say thank you for our trip on Wednesday. The experience was like I was in the 1800s. I really liked beating the carpets because it was a really good experience. The schoolroom was good because using a slate board was a really good experience. The Police and Prison Museum was interesting because I now realise how dreadful it was in prison in the Victorian period." Joshua (age 9).
"I am writing to say thank you for our museum experience on Wednesday and to say how real and exciting it was. When I first went in I laughed but then I got a bit scared! These are a few of the things I will always remember. In the school room I liked the way Victorians wrote and the slate boards were really cool, so I bought one as a souvenir. I liked the ink pens as well, they were fantastic. I liked the rag rugging because I like art, but it was hard to get the rags through because I kept making big holes. The Court was really fun because of the role play and dressing up and I was surprised about the boy aged 7 who stole a loaf of bread and he had to go to Australia for 7 years. The Police Museum was really surprising because of the way prisoners were treated. I got 14 out of 14 in the questionnaire. I got scared when we were locked up in the cell and had the door slammed." Lauren (age 9).
"I am writing to say thank you for the visit, it was very good. When I came in I got a big shock. She shouted at me and everyone else, but she said she wasn't serious. We took our lunch and put it in a basket. Our first activity was the school room. I liked those ink pots and the pens. It was quite hard to do the Victorian style writing. I liked doing the laundry; the best part was beating the carpet and doing the ironing. I liked doing everything in the laundry. I liked scrubbing the stairs. It was fun but I wouldn't do it every day. I liked the Police Station. In the quiz I got 11 out of 14. I liked bashing the the riot shield and wearing the riot helmet. I would hate to go in jail it would be so boring and that crank would be rubbish. It would be horrible." David (age 9).
"I am writing to say thank you for the amazing day I had on Wednesday. One of the things I enjoyed was the school, because the writing was brilliant, I really like it and never forget the scratcher because I bought a blackboard and scratcher from the shop. Another thing I won't forget is the case at the Courtroom. I enjoyed it because I got to experience the dreadful punishment that happened when you stole a loaf of BREAD, I was shocked. The acting was fun when you had to stand in the dock and give your witness statement. I got a great experience from the Police and Prison Museum. I learnt more because I enjoyed the quiz and wanted to find out the answers. Now I know that being shut in that cell for a second would kill me. It was dreadful back in those days. The rag rugging was excellent it would definitely keep me occupied and warm, I certainly liked it. I think that that would have been the most fun thing they could do at the workhouse. The best thing was getting caned." Megan (age 11).
"I am writing to say thank you for using your spare time to help us learn and enjoy learning about Victorians. I liked doing some of the chores outside in the yard, like beating the rugs and raking the leaves. I liked writing in Victorian writing in the classroom. My favourite part was the rug making. I did mine all green it was really fun, but quite hard. Then we went to the Police Station. We had to do a quiz while learning about police. My favourite part was when we got to see all the policeman's armour. They had stab armour and a big shield which was really strong. We all got to hit it with a truncheon, the shield was stronger than I thought. Then we went to a Court and we got to do some role play about a boy who stole some bread from a shopkeepers stall. They had a trial and the boy did not get to say much. I played the shopkeeper and after the role play at the Court we went back to school." Nathaniel (age 9).
"I am writing to let you know what a terrific day I had on Wednesday!! I liked all the activities, but I really liked the role play with the Matron because it made me understand how people felt when they had to go into the Workhouse because they were poor and had nowhere to live. Also I thought the role play was fun. When I walked into the museum I was quite nervous because the Matron was shouting. I wouldn't like to be a child in the Victorian times. I liked the way the museum staff acted strictly because it made the trip more fun and it was an experience when they were shouting at you. I enjoyed the laundry because you got a chance to wash things and beat the carpets. I really enjoyed beating the carpets. The schoolroom was good. I liked learning how to write my name in Victorian writing and I liked the way you had to push the seats up when you stood up in the schoolroom. Mrs Bushell made the rag rugging fun. I found it hard at firstbut then it got easier. The Victorians must have liked rag rugging in their spare time. I liked the Police Museum when we got locked up, there was nothing to do though an there was a wooden bed which must have been uncomfortable. Also I liked the quiz because it was a challenge, I got 12/14. I was amazed when we got to the Courtroom because I found out that a seven year old boy had been sentenced to Australia by himself. I was the owner of the shop when we did a role play in the Courtroom and someone had stolen some bread from my shop. It was great! I had a fantastic day and I will remember it forever thank you!!!" Georgina (age 10).
"I am writing to say thank you for a glorious day out. You really acted like we were in the Victorian times. I really enjoyed the role play it showed what it was like in Victorian times. I thought the laundry was super because it made you realise how hard they worked. When I was beating the carpets it made me wonder how tired they would be at the end of the day. When I moved on to the next activity we were going to the tramp rooms. I was looking at the food and it made me feel lucky to be in this time not in the Victorian times. On the rag rugging activity it was very enjoyable to do something. The schoolroom helped me with my handwriting, now I am an expert. When I went to the Police Museum I tried on the police hat and it made me feel like a real policewoman. I was doing the quiz and I learnt a lot. My group went in the cells. I thought it must have been uncomfortable. When we went to the Courthouse I thought the acting was terrific especially when I was the Clerk of the Court. When I was wearing the wig it suited me." Olivia (age 9).
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