Today was a simple yet enjoyable day, as we had the chance to explore the Black Country Living Museum. It was a fun and informative experience, and I learned a lot while we were there.

Our visit began with a tour of the Black Country Coal Mines, which turned out to be one of my favorite parts of the day. We wore hard hats and actually went through the mines, which gave us a sense of what it was like to work there in the past. The tour was very immersive and helped me understand the harsh conditions that miners faced. I found it especially interesting to learn that, after a tragic flooding accident that resulted in the deaths of many children, laws were put in place to prevent children under ten and women from working in the mines.

During the tour, we were introduced to a character named Billy, a young boy who worked as a Door Guard. His job was to sit in complete darkness for twelve hours, opening doors when needed. He wasn’t allowed to have a candle, not because of safety reasons, but because candles at the time were made of animal fat, and starving workers—especially children—would eat them. I found this fact both shocking and heartbreaking, and it gave me a deeper understanding of the level of poverty and desperation during that era.

After the mine tour, we spent some time exploring the rest of the museum’s town. One highlight was participating in an interactive classroom session that demonstrated what school was like during that time. It was fascinating to see how strict the teachers were and how different the learning environment was compared to today. We also got to enjoy a small carnival that was set up in the museum. I rode a few rides, which was a lot of fun since I’ve always enjoyed carnival attractions. One of the best things I seen were two horses that were on the grounds, but I felt bad because it seemed like they were so bored that they were actually falling asleep. Here is a picture of them:

Before we left, we stopped by a small flea market within the museum grounds. I found a very cute necklace there and decided to buy it as a keepsake from the day.

Once we returned to the hotel, our group started working on the presentation we’ll be giving tomorrow to students and faculty at Birmingham City University. Our project focuses on the challenges of multiculturalism in healthcare and education between the United States and the United Kingdom. It’s an important and complex topic, and our group has been working hard to prepare.

In between working sessions, I had dinner at The Malt House. The food was tasty and filling, and the service was great. After dinner, we met again to finalize our presentation. Now that the day is over, I’m starting to feel a bit nervous about presenting, but I’m confident that our group will do well. I’m also looking forward to celebrating afterward with some delicious Indian food.