Beamish

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Geo: 54.7911, -1.76455

Well for everyone back home, especially in Melbourne, you must know of Sovereign Hill. You know, the touristy place that tries to educate about Old School Australia, and the Gold Rush. Well basically, Beamish open air museum is the English equivalent. Instead of the gold rush however, its all about Coal Mines, and old English farms, and towns, and steam.
I arrived there with Joe, at around quarter past ten in the morning. Our Beamish experience started with a hardhat tour down an drift coal mine shaft. Its really amazing to consider the way men in this area would have worked back in the early 19th Century, even as late as 1970. The conditions were harsh, and one can only imagine the thousands of medical conditions and issues that may have come about as a result of working here. Really makes me wonder if the soft generation of today, would be able to cope with these sort of occupations.
Other interesting sights to see were Steam engines, Coliery villiages, old style town (candy shop, general store, bar), pit cottages, leek patches, pit ponies, old schools and churches etc.
It was a very informative day out, and quite an interesting look at the lifestyle and responsibilities of English society throughout the century past, especially because of how it links with the stories my grandad has told me.
The remainder of the day was fairly quiet, ive just finished watching the football on TV, and now off to bed, cos its a real early start to Scotland tomorrow. goodnight.

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Photos

Always time for Ducks
Yes theres always time for ducks. thats me in front of.. well some british style ducks i guess.

An old English House
The title explains the picture.

Joe Steam Train
My Second cousin Joe, on the Beamish steam train named "Puffing Billy" Joe is my mums cousins husband.

Old Brittish Railway
A shot of an old fashioned British railway system..

Old English House
One of the typical old English miners lodges. Or at least a house typical of the era around 1913. Well the type of house that perhaps the random stranger would have known about in his day..

Oldschool
A rather cheezy picture of me at an English desk, at one of the Old fashioned beamish schools.

The Angel of the North
Not part of the Beamish museum. Just a piece of popular art near Newcastle, north east England; "The Angel of the North"

The Pits
Me clocking on for a shift at the Drift Coal Mine, at the Beamish village. It was pretty impressive the little tour i got. Amazing to consider the way these miners worked throughout the century, and the conditions, and health problems they must have suffered.