Childhood 100 Years Ago My Story

The story belongs to Sylvie

and her mummy, Jade.

It's a tiny tale about how children just like you lived 100 years ago.

And now it's time for Mummy Jade to take Sylvie

on a journey of discovery

and find out together what life was like all those years ago.

-Sylvie, are you ready for school?

-Yes.

You look really nice in your uniform.

Do you think 100 years ago

children would've worn a school uniform for school?

100 years ago... Was that before I was born?

Yeah. It was a very long time ago.

It was even before your nana was born.

Do you know, Sylvie,

something very big and important happened 100 years ago?

We call it World War I.

Lots of countries around the world had a big fight called a war

which lasted for four years.

During the First World War,

many daddies joined the Army, the Navy, and the Royal Flying Corps

which we know today as the Royal Air Force.

Some women also went to join the war effort

and worked as nurses and drove ambulances.

Look, here's some old film of some soldiers

getting ready to leave for France

where some of the fighting took place.

The war started in the summer of 1914

and lots of people thought it would be over by Christmas,

but, sadly, it lasted for four years.

Some of the daddies, uncles, big brothers and women

were away from home for a very long time.

Sylvie, your great-great-grandpa went off to fight

in the First World War.

He was away for a very long time

and when he came back he was awarded a medal for being so brave.

What did mummies and children do when the daddies went to war?

Well, let's find out, shall we?

Shall we go back and see what it was like

-to be a wee boy or girl 100 years ago?

-Yes, please.

OK, let's get changed into clothes they used to wear a long time ago.

OK.

-Look at you!

-Look at you!

Wow! Look at Sylvie and Mummy Jade now

dressed up in the clothes from 100 years ago.

This is going to be really interesting.

Next stop, they're going to visit an old school.

Look at this old photograph.

And look at it now.

It's not changed that much, has it?

-OK, Sylvie that's us at school now.

-Yay!

The Scotland Street School has been around for a very long time.

For many, many years it was busy school.

Now it's museum, and Mummy Jade and Sylvie are going to find out

all about what it was like going to school 100 years ago.

This is different from your school, isn't it, Sylvie?

Yes, Mummy.

Do you see this picture, here?

-Yes.

-See the lady at the back?

-Yeah.

-That's your great-gran, Sadie.

She used to go to school here a long time ago.

That's amazing!

Shall we go?

And look! Here are some more children to join in the fun.

The children are wearing the same kind of clothes

a child would have worn 100 years ago.

And this lady here is not a real teacher,

but she is going to show the children

what it was like to be in a classroom 100 years ago.

Class, at the sound of the bell, sit up straight.

Good.

Today we are going to recite the 26 letters of the alphabet.

First letter?

ALL: A, B, C...

..D, E...

..F, G...

So the children are learning the alphabet,

just like you would today.

So, things haven't really changed that much.

Class, you may now take your slates

from the slots on the front of the desks.

Lie them flat on the desk in front of you.

What's that the children are writing with?

That doesn't look like a pencil and paper to me.

You will take up your piece of chalk

and you will then start to copy the letters

from the board onto your slates.

You may now copy the letters

starting with the A.

It's a slate, a bit like a mini chalk board,

and the children are writing on it with chalk.

Who can give me an animal beginning with this letter of the alphabet?

The girl there?

A dinosaur.

A dinosaur!

Who can make me the noise of a dinosaur?

The boy in the back. Stand.

WAAARRGH!

AH!

That is the scariest dinosaur I have ever heard!

I wonder what's next for the children.

Yeah, of course - it's playtime!

And some more of Sylvie's friends have come along to try out

the games they played so many years ago.

So what sort of games did they play?

Now, this is called hoop and stick.

That looks really hard.

Not many people play it now,

but 100 years ago it was really popular.

# Ring-a-ring of rosies

# A pocket full of posies

# A-tishoo! A-tishoo!

# We all fall down. #

Ah, skipping!

Skipping is great!

And never changes.

This is called peever.

It's the same as hopscotch.

Look at this old photograph of boys

playing a game called marbles.

And here's Sylvie and her friends playing it, too.

Do you play marbles?

Playtime has been fun.

Is it like playtime at your school or nursery?

So I wonder what's in store for Sylvie and her classmates now?

Well, look at this old film.

The children are doing drill.

It's a bit like PE, but a lot less fun.

And in this picture taken in Scotland Street School

they did drill inside.

Let's see how Sylvie and her classmates get on.

Class, stand up straight. Arms by your sides.

As you're all aware, a healthy body leads to a healthy mind.

So you will all do as I do.

Put your hands on your shoulders,

hands on your heads,

hands straight up in the air,

hands on your heads,

hands on your shoulders,

straight out to the side.

Now I want it done, but I want it done 10 TIMES FASTER than that!

If you are ready and...

Go! Go! Go! Go! Keep it up, keep it up!

Out to the side! Up in the air! Keep it up!

Keep it up! Keep it up!

And...stand up straight.

Did you have fun at school today?

Yeah!

Are you hungry?

Yes.

OK, Sylvie, look at this old ration book.

people used to not have so much food a long time ago,

so they used to use this to share food.

By the end of the war, food started to run out

because ships couldn't bring in food from other countries,

so people queued for food.

To make sure that was enough food to go around,

rationing books were used.

Inside each book was a list of food items,

a bit like a shopping list.

And you were only allowed a certain amount of items each week.

This made sure that everyone got their fair share

of the little amount of food that was available.

Ration books weren't the only way to get food.

Lots of people grew their own food,

sometimes in their gardens

or in the farmers' fields

and sometimes in an allotment.

An allotment is a small piece of land away from your house

that you can grow vegetables and other things on.

Sylvie, do you know this allotment has been here for a really long time?

Over 100 years.

-That's a very long time, Mummy.

-It is.

And do you know during the First World War

they didn't have very much food,

so they would come down here

and they would grow their own vegetables.

A bit like the leek and potatoes

we're about to pick for our soup.

During the war, allotments just like this one,

and other open areas like parks and even football fields,

were suddenly getting used as garden patches

to grow potatoes and other vegetables.

And even the children all helped with the gardening.

Shall we pull some leeks?

Yeah!

Well done!

Give it a shake.

Well done.

Fantastic.

What about the potatoes now? Shall we go for some potatoes?

Yes.

Watch out.

There we go.

Give them a good old pull.

Oh, my goodness!

Loads of potatoes.

They're amazing.

We've got loads there.

One potato, two potato, three potato, four.

Five potato, six potato, seven potato, more!

Well done!

Let's go make some leek and potato soup.

Leek and potato soup!

That sounds yummy.

Now the vegetables are collected, Sylvie and Mummy Jade

are preparing them in an old-fashioned kitchen.

Shall we make some leek and potato soup now?

Yeah.

So, do you want to wash some potatoes? Put them in.

They need a good wash.

-You have washed your hands, haven't you?

-Yes.

-Do you like cooking?

-Yes.

What's your favourite thing to make?

Making cakes with you.

They're nice and clean now, Mummy.

Lovely. Shall we chop them up, then?

Yes.

-You know only mummies and daddies can use sharp knives, don't you?

-Yes.

So we chop them up and get them ready for the soup.

Do you think you'd have liked to be a wee girl 100 years ago?

-Not really.

-Why not?

Because...

I just wouldn't like it,

because it would be a lot harder.

And the teachers would be kind of scary

and I wouldn't get to wear my nice clothes.

I like these clothes, though.

But not as much as my old clothes.

Do you like wearing your jeans and your leggings?

-Yes.

-OK.

Sylvie, have you had fun finding out what life was like 100 years ago?

Yes.

Can you remember all the things you've done?

We dressed up in old-fashioned clothes.

Look at you!

We went into a very old school.

I joined a class for an old lesson.

THEY RECITE THE ALPHABET

I played old games with my friends.

We made soup.

-Do you like cooking?

-Yes.

I had fun and learned lots...

Five potato, six potato, seven potato, more!

So, Sylvie, what did you enjoy doing the most?

Playing old games in the playground with my friends.

What was your favourite bit?

I enjoyed spending time with you.

-Shall we go get changed out of these old clothes?

-Yes.

What would you like to put on?

My pink leggings.

That'll be lovely. Give us a hug.

What a journey of discovery!

That was Sylvie and Mummy Jade's tiny tale

about being a child 100 years ago.

Now Mummy Jade has shared this story with Sylvie,

it's time for Sylvie to start her own story.

Do you know someone with a story to share?