Larch and Kingfishers Classes

On Monday, half of class HG visited the Rural Life Museum at Tilford. It was a beautiful day – perfect for getting the washing done! We filled our tin wash tub with water from the pump. Then we used scrubbing boards and a soap bar to get the washing clean. We had to use a ‘prosser’ and ‘dolly’ to mix up the water and the soap. Next we used a mangle to squeeze the water out of the clothes. It was a perfect day to hang the clothes up to dry on the line with the wooden pegs. The children didn’t seem that enthusiastic to give up their washing machines at home, and practice these new washing skills that they had learnt!

After ‘Wash Day’ it was time for school. The children had to make a ‘boys’ and ‘girls’ line before going inside. They had to learn the school address and their times tables. They had a go at handwriting with pen and ink, before looking at some coins that were used in the 1940’s.

At playtime, there were a selection of 1940’s toys to play with. These were very similar to Victorian toys, as much of the materials and resources for making toys were scarce and used for different things.

Finally, we looked at an Anderson Air Raid Shelter and a Pre-Fab house. Pre-Fab houses could be built quickly and  provided a home for people who had lost theirs through the bombing in the war.

                  Come back for Part 2 next week!