Georgian Times My Story

This story belongs to Oliver, and his grandma, Melanie.

It's a tiny tale about how children, just like you, lived 200 years ago.

And now it's time for Oliver

and Grandma Melanie to go on a journey of discovery.

Together, they are going to find out what life was like

all those years ago.

What can you see, Oliver?

-The lighthouse.

-Do you know what the lighthouse is for?

-To keep ships safe, not to bump into the rocks.

-Well done, that's right.

I know a story about a little girl that lived

in a lighthouse on the islands over there with her family

about 200 years ago.

-Really?

-Yeah. She was called Grace.

Would you like to hear a story about that little girl?

-Yes, please!

-First, shall we go and get dressed up like Grace

-and her family would have done?

-Yes, please. That would be fun.

Grace and her family lived on the Farne Islands, which are out at sea.

There are lots of rocks under the water near the islands

which can damage ships.

To help keep ships safe at sea people built

lighthouses near the dangerous rocks.

Ships would see the light shining from the lighthouse

and know to stay away from the rocks.

-Would you like to dance with me?

-I would love to dance with you.

So, what do you think of these clothes, Oliver?

-Wonderful.

-Tell me about your hat.

-It's a bit tall.

-And what colour is it?

-Black.

Tell me about your jacket, Oliver.

It's brown and it's beautiful and it's got a tail

-and lovely, bright, black buttons.

-It has.

It has. It's very, very smart.

-Now tell me about your hat.

-My hat is very, very posh, isn't it?

Yeah.

Do you think Grandma should wear a hat like this all of the time?

-Yes.

-Yeah? And what about my dress?

Beautiful, I think you should wear it when there's a wedding happening.

Do you think?

Under here, lots of petticoats to keep me warm.

Would you like to find out what it was like for Grace

-to live in the olden days?

-Yes, please.

-Yeah, me too.

This is Souter Lighthouse.

The lighthouse, look at that.

-Are we having a lovely time?

-Yes.

Grandma Melanie has brought Oliver here to see

how Grace might have lived.

It has a lighthouse keeper's cottage.

When she was small, Grace and her family

lived in a cottage like this, because her daddy was a lighthouse keeper.

-What do you think of this house, Oliver?

-Wonderful.

-It's wonderful?

-Would you like to live here?

-Yes, please.

-It's not like our house, is it?

-No.

Look at all these old toys.

Oliver, we're in the children's bedroom, what do you think?

It looks wonderful.

-Is it like your bedroom at home?

-No.

-No, it's quite small, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, the lighthouse keeper's cottage was quite small.

-How many people have you got in your family, Oliver?

-Six.

-How many do you think Grace might have had?

-Six.

Greece had five brothers and three sisters.

Then there was Grace, and mum and dad. How many is that?

-11.

-11. How do you think it might have felt in such a little house?

It sounds like a bit of a squash.

Grace used to share her bedroom. Who do you share your bedroom with?

My little brother, Zander.

-What do you like to do in your bedroom?

-Play and jump.

-Yeah?

Grace would have liked to play too,

but I know she used to like writing letters as well.

Shall we have a go at writing a letter?

-Yes, please.

-Yeah. Grace would have used an old pen just like this one.

It's not like the pens we use today.

Old pens like this had a piece of metal on the end called a nib.

You had to dip the nib into a bottle of ink

and write carefully, without smudging the ink.

Great job, Oliver. Well done.

It goes on and on.

-And round and round.

-It doesn't give my legs a rest.

-It doesn't.

No, it's very hard work.

Grace's daddy's job was to keep the lighthouse light shining all the time

and to keep watch over the ships to make sure that they were safe.

It's a long way to the top of the lighthouse, Oliver.

Yes, it is.

Wow!

This is a good lighthouse.

Grace and her brothers and sisters would have helped

their daddy to do his job.

-Shall we pretend to be lighthouse keepers?

-Yes!

Can you see any ships, Oliver?

-They're too small.

-Too small?

-So why don't you use...

-A telescope!

Yes, a telescope. Well done.

Can you see any ships now?

A pirate ship!

-And what's the weather like?

-Why?

Because if the weather was bad the ships might get into trouble.

-You've been a fantastic lighthouse keeper. Well done.

-Thank you.

So, Oliver, there was only Grace

and her family lived on the islands, so there was no school.

So her daddy would have taught her how to read and how to write

and other subjects like...

-Nature and geography.

-Nature and geography. Well done.

Geography is all about directions. What do you think this is?

-A compass.

-A compass. It's a very old compass.

And this tells you which direction you need to go in.

So it always points North, so here.

It's pointing North and the sea is over there, which is East.

-And where is South?

-South...

-Is...

And where's West?

That one.

Well done. Good job.

So, where are we?

-Right here.

-Right here!

SHE LAUGHS

Careful, now. It might be heavy.

Well done.

Grandma Melanie and Oliver are looking for driftwood

on the beach, just like Grace would have done.

There were no shops on Grace's tiny island, and no trees,

so Grace and her family used the driftwood

they found to make fires to heat the lighthouse.

Wow! Oliver, look at all that driftwood we found.

That's going to make an amazing fire.

Good job, Oliver.

Grace loved looking at all the animals

and birds on her little island.

Grandma Melanie has brought Oliver to Annstead Dunes to see

if they can spot some wildlife.

Oliver, when Grace was a little girl there were no televisions

and no playgrounds, but Grace used to love playing outside with

her brothers and sisters.

And they would go looking for all the animals and birds on the island.

And she had a little dog called Happy.

Would you like to go and look for wildlife?

-There's a seal!

-Yay! Look at that.

-What's that?

-That's an oystercatcher.

And, if you look very carefully, you might see some eider ducks.

Grace used to have some pet eider ducks.

-Really?

-Yeah, she used to look after them on the island.

-I hope that was fun.

-I think it would have been.

Oliver, if Grace wanted to go and visit her grandma,

how would she have got there?

-Er, a rowing boat?

-A rowing boat, that's right.

Would you like to go

and have a look at a rowing boat just like Grace had?

-Yes, please.

-Let's go.

Oliver, look at this lovely rowing boat. What do you think?

It needs four people.

It's got four oars, so, yeah, it would have taken

four people to row it.

And it's called a skiff.

And Grace would have learned to row a boat just like this one,

would you like to go for a trip in this boat?

-Yes, please.

-Great, let's go.

-Can you tell me a story about Grace Darling, please?

-I can.

A long time ago, when Grace was a young woman,

she had seen, from her bedroom window,

that a ship had bumped into some rocks near the Farne Islands.

She had seen the ship was in trouble and gone and told her daddy.

And her daddy and Grace rowed out in their boat and rescued nine people.

It was a very, very stormy night and it was very, very dangerous.

Grace was really brave.

This is a painting of Grace and her daddy in their rowing boat.

Grace's story was in all the newspapers

and she became very famous.

She had her portrait painted and people wrote songs

and poems about her.

Oliver, have you had fun finding out what it was like a long time ago?

Yes, I loved finding out about Grace and the things that she did.

-Can you remember all the things we've done?

-Yes.

We got dressed up in old clothes, which was great fun.

You looked wonderful and I felt very special.

We visited a lighthouse and the lighthouse keeper's cottage.

I wrote with an old pen,

just like Grace would have done.

We pretended to be lighthouse keepers.

You taught me geography...

just like Grace's dad taught her.

We went looking for driftwood.

We went on a rowing boat.

And I learnt how brave Grace was.

What have you enjoyed the most, Oliver?

Dressing up and rowing a boat.

What have you enjoyed the most?

I enjoyed going out on the rowing boat

and telling you all about Grace Darling.

I think we've had a good adventure together,

so I think it's time for a big cuddle.

-You know what...?

-And tickle!

SHE LAUGHS

What a fabulous heap of fun!

That was Oliver and Grandma Melanie's tiny tale about Grace Darling's

childhood over 200 years ago.

Now Grandma Melanie has shared this story with Oliver,

it's time for Oliver to start his very own story.

Do you know someone with a story to share?