History Quest: History for Kids

The anchor and chains for the Titanic, and her sister ships Olympic and Britannic, were made in the Black Country - the anchors were some of the biggest ever made! The anchor was over 15 tonnes and 18 feet long! Chains and anchors came in all shapes and sizes, meaning women and children were responsible for making them in backyard forges. Anchor makers made a good living, better than many people i...

Did you know the Black Country used to be known as Birmingham-on-Sea? The boat people never stayed in one place for long, they were responsible for moving cargo - even Cadburys chocolate! People moved cargo along the canals until just after the Second World War! With the development of the road network, trucks took over and the canals fell into disrepair. The families who lived on the canals had t...

Life at home in the Black Country in the 1800's was a lot different to life nowadays. Can you imagine having to share an outside toilet with your whole street? Or starting work before you're old enough to finish school! Things have come a long way since, but there's still some similarities... Join Fun Kids Podcasts+: https://funkidslive.com/plus See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Black Country was famous for coal mining back in the day! But working in the mines wasn't just a pretty horrible job because it was so hard, dark, and dirty work; it was also really dangerous. You could be crushed by falling rock, suffocate on gasses, or be caught up in an explosion if any flammable gases caught on fire. In this episode of 'Adventures Through Time' we learn all about the famou...

You might take being warm and cozy in your house for granted, but the people of the Black Country definitely didn't back in the Victorian era! Most people back then had to rely on fire in their homes to keep warm. With finding the fuel for the fire, starting it off, and keeping it burning, it was quite a job they had on their hands! Find out all about how people of the Black Country used to keep w...

Staying healthy is really important, but with all those factories and mines in the Black Country, doing that was easier said than done. People would get ill and injured a lot back then but not everyone could go to the doctors to get their health problems fixed. The NHS wouldn't be around until 1948 and doctors back in the day were expensive, far too expensive for normal factory workers like so man...

People in the Black Country didn't just work in the factories all the time, they had to eat too! Getting a good meal back then was a little different back then, lots of families would get a lot of food themselves. They would grow vegetables on their own vegetable patches and keep animals. That wasn't the only option though, trains were a big deal back then which allowed food and drinks from all ov...

Queen Victoria meant a lot to the people of the Black Country. Many pubs and houses around the Black Country would have a picture of the Queen hanging in them to honor her. Usually, if you were expecting to see the queen you would probably have to be in London and attending a fancy party or concert. But Queen Victoria decided to visit The Black Country back to unveil a statue of her late husband....

Mary Macarthur was a pretty amazing woman in the Black Country's history. Lots of women workers back then used to be treated very unfairly, they were made to work long hours and for not very much money at all! It was a hard and horrible life, but they didn't dare say anything as they were scared of being fired and not being able to feed their family. Mary Macarthur saw this injustice and decided t...

It’s a decade after the start of the war and Edward’s father has died.  At a church memorial service, Edward contemplates the role of memorial in our society in all its aspects. Join Fun Kids Podcasts+: https://funkidslive.com/plus See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many of us remember the fallen from the Great Wars and other conflicts by wearing a poppy.  Edward’s mother and Grandmother talk about the Poppy campaign, and Edward remembers seeing the Scottish troops in London. Join Fun Kids Podcasts+: https://funkidslive.com/plus See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Memorials for the fallen come in many shapes and sizes.  This is mainly due to there not being any rules about what form a war memorial should take but also because different people and communities want to remember and commemorate in different ways.  Edward and Sid take a walk down memory lane. Join Fun Kids Podcasts+: https://funkidslive.com/plus See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

Military cemeteries were designed to be peaceful and to be a fair way to remember both rich and poor alike.  Edward visits Brookwood Military Cemetery in Surrey, whilst Sid and his mother argue about John’s place in a cemetery in France.  Join Fun Kids Podcasts+: https://funkidslive.com/plus See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the aftermath of the war, Britain needed a way to remember their fallen.  The Cenotaph and The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier would become the focus for the nation to remember, particularly on the anniversary of the Armistice. Join Fun Kids Podcasts+: https://funkidslive.com/plus See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After the war, the Government said it would look after the returning soldiers, with houses and jobs fit for the heroes they were. The reality was quite different ...  Join Fun Kids Podcasts+: https://funkidslive.com/plus See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 In the early hours of 11th November 1918, an Armistice Agreement was signed between Germany and the Allies.  This meant that at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month there would be a truce and an end to the fighting – but peace would be a little way off. Join Fun Kids Podcasts+: https://funkidslive.com/plus See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Spanish Flu was a terrible illness that spread across Europe and was brought to Britain by returning soldiers and ships bringing food to feed the starving nation.  It was a pandemic that gripped the country and would end up killing more people across the world than the war itself. Join Fun Kids Podcasts+: https://funkidslive.com/plus See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Until 1918 only some men had the right to vote in elections.  Groups of women, called Suffragettes had protested for many years for women to be able to vote too – sometimes the protests were peaceful but some were violent, causing damage. Join Fun Kids Podcasts+: https://funkidslive.com/plus See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Edward describes the difficulty of life in 1918.  Shortages are making it hard to find vegetables and material for clothing, with news of more losses in battle adding to their worries. Join Fun Kids Podcasts+: https://funkidslive.com/plus See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan and Bex think about working children in other parts of the world and how we can help to change things for the better. Join Fun Kids Podcasts+: https://funkidslive.com/plus See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan and Bex find out that even after schools became compulsory – and free – not everyone was happy to attend. Join Fun Kids Podcasts+: https://funkidslive.com/plus See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan and Bex, with the help of Lord Shaftesbury’s Journal, find out that making clothes was a common way for children to help their families earn extra pennies. Join Fun Kids Podcasts+: https://funkidslive.com/plus See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan and Bex, with the help of Lord Shaftesbury’s Journal, take a trip to a Victorian pottery and find children hard at work Join Fun Kids Podcasts+: https://funkidslive.com/plus See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan and Bex, with the help of Lord Shaftesbury’s Journal, find out that it’s not just coal that’s mined – clay, slate and other minerals all involved child workers. Join Fun Kids Podcasts+: https://funkidslive.com/plus See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan and Bex, with the help of Lord Shaftesbury’s Journal, learn about apprenticeships – where children were sold to learn a trade. Join Fun Kids Podcasts+: https://funkidslive.com/plus See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.