Beamish Open Air Museum - A Grand Day Out

On Wednesday we went back in time to that top visitor attraction Beamish 'The Living Museum of the North', to experience the past for ourselves. Obviously all images taken in the past are sepia coloured (as demonstrated above) so we've used Photoshop trickery to 'modernise' them by digitally adding a rich palette of colour...

 That's much better isn't it?

 Here's a charabanc to take us to the pit village (or "downt pit" as they say "oop North")

 Some students decided to take the tram (sort of like a bus with wires) to "gan tashin' on the toon".

Here's 'Puffing Billy' (the locomotive not the man) - Puffing Billy is a replica of he world's oldest, surviving steam train, built in 1833 and now on display in the Science Museum in a small town to the south called London.

Coal can not only be used to power steam trains but also cook fish and chips, fried in beef dripping...


and believe us, the results are delicious!

The main reason we went to Beamish was to look at examples of period graphic design and illustration. We were granted privileged access to the museums extensive store to examine the delights hidden there.

A large ledger held an impressive collection of period advertising including:

 TEETH! TEETH! TEETH!

YOU DIRTY BOY!

Lot's of samples were laid out for inspection in a study room...

...before we ventured into the darkest depths of the collection store.

 ... an 'Aladin's cave' of wonder and delight.

Gorgeous enamel advertising signs are everywhere...

 

 Later on there was time to visit the Victorian fun fair which included the opportunity to partake in coconut shying, Hoopla hooping and a quick spin on the 'Speedway' (see below).

Thank to Beamish Museum for giving us 'behind the scenes access', we all had a 'grand day out'!