STRIDERS BIG ADVENTURE DIARY

Striders Diary - Thurs 19 October 2006

Striders Big Adventure

Strider visits two schools in Rotherham, then visits a coal mine.

Hello everybody!
I travelled south a little way to Barnsley, to visit some schools there.

Athersley North Primary School, Barnsley

I started the day by skateboarding into the assembly at Athersley North Primary School. It was my first time on a skateboard, and I was a bit wobbly! I told them all about my travels, and why it was so important to walkl to school.

I then joined 12 children for an art project. We discussed what we did before we got to school in the morning, and they created a storyboard for me. It started with me getting out of bed in the morning, getting dressed and having breakfast. The children thought that my favourite breakfast was custard and tomato ketchup - because it makes orange. I haven't tried it yet, but I will - it does sound nice!

The children drew the storyboard on big pieces of paper and then we exhibited them in the hall for the other children at the school to look at.

Thurgoland Primary School, Thurgoland Nr Sheffield

I then went to Thurgoland Primary School and started by giving a talk to the whole of year 5. The seemed very excited to meet me, and had lots of questions about what I was doing and where I had been.

We then did a similar project about getting to school. There were more children involved though, so we ended up with a massive storyboard like a giant cartoon strip. The children were all really excited about Halloween, so they they thought my favourite breakfast was jelly with spiders and wasps in it - I think I prefer the custard and ketchup!

They also made different costumes for me to wear for Halloween - a devil costume, a metal robot costume, a vampire costume and a super hero costume (Danger Strider!). I particularly liked the Danger Strider costume.

National Coal Mining Museum

My next stop was the National Coal Mining Museum for England in Wakefield.

This was a coal mine between 1789 to 1985, when it finally became too expensive to dig out the coal. They then converted it into a museum and you can travel into the mine to learn all about it.

Before you can go into the mine you have to get dressed in the safety equipment - you must wear a safety hat (with a light on the front) so you don't bang your head. You also have to empty your pockets in case you are carrying anything that might cause a spark. The spark could ignite the gas in the mine and set off an explosion.

We went down the mine in a cage. It was 140 metres down, and very dark! They made us switch off all the lights so we could see how dark it was. I didn't like that! See photo below
Until 1842, they sent women and children (both boys and girls) down the mine to push the heavy carts of coal back to the surface. In 1842 it became illegal for girls, women and boys under 10 to work in the mines, but boys over 10 were still allowed to work down there. They also used small horse (called pit ponies) to pull the coal back to the surface.

Once we were back on the surface, I had a look at the shower room where the miners washed at the end of each day. This is because most of the miners didn't have a proper bath or shower at their own house, and would have to heat up the water over the fire and bathe in a tin bath. The showers were a better option! See photo below.
Being a coal miner was a very difficult and dangerous job and I don't think I would have liked it.

I can't continue my journey without your help - so keep walking!

On Thursday, 628 Walks to School were recorded on my website. Thanks to everyone who has already logged their journeys, but please keep adding your journeys. Find out how to record your journeys to school, and keep me on my Big Adventure. Keep walking!