Families hungry to learn about
BEAMISH MARKS CENTENARY OF PROTEST STAGED BY STARVING SCHOOLCHILDREN
Families are set to go on strike this half-term as Beamish Museum marks the centenary of a protest carried outbystarvingschoolchildren from Wearside.
TheWashingtonChildren’s Strike will be commemorated from Saturday until Sunday, February26,whenvisitorscan join a march through the museum and take part in a host of hands-on activities.
In 1917, 1,000 miners’ childreninUsworthandWashington went on strike to demand free school meals.
Families were going hungry, struggling with reduced shifts for miners, food shortages and rocketing prices during the First World War.
Enoughwasenoughandthe children, encouraged by their fathers, went on strike from schoolfortherighttohavefree meals.
They won their fight after only two days and returned to school, where they were fed soup.
DuringFebruaryhalf-term, visitors can mark the centenary of the strike by joining a march from The Pit Village to The Town, making flags to wave, singing protest songs, sampling poor man’s soup and seeing displays from Wessington U3A War Memorials Project, Washington History Group and SAFC Museum.
They can make parcels and postcards for soldiers on the frontandsignupfortheArmy, while children can try on uniforms at the recruitment station, and discover the effect of thewarontheCo-op’ssupplies.
Gemma Stevenson, communityeventsofficeratBeamish, said: “We’re all looking forward to this exciting event, commemorating the Washington Children’s Strike and celebrating the history and heritage of the area. There will belotsofactivitiesforpeopleto get involved in – they’ll be able to strike for their soup, make flags to wave on the march and sing along with protest songs.”
Beamish has been working with eight schools in Washington and Sunderland to explore the Children’s Strike.
Pupils have taken part in marches at the museum and learned a song, No School for Us Today Sir!, written by Beamish’s Bill Elliott, a renowned folk performer.
Simon Woolley, head of learning at Beamish, said: “The children have truly lived the experience.
“They have explored old