By Joshua Robinson – 

This summer, people will have the opportunity to discover seaside stories, enjoy sunshine at the beach, and a fun-filled programme of events at National Coal Mining Museum for England (NCMME), in celebration of the camaraderie of coal mining communities during the 1984-85 Miners’ Strike.

Younger visitors will discover how mining communities entertained children during difficult times by playing seaside games and building sandcastles at the Museum’s beach, alongside performances from the Museum’s Living History team.

Families will partake in arts and crafts with the seaside theme at the free daily Makers’ Shed, with changing weekly activities including making puppets and classic Yorkshire flat caps. These drop-in sessions will highlight how community events supported miners in the strike.

Over the six-week holidays, tickets can be booked for children to learn new skills and develop their STEM subject knowledge in weekly workshops. For Caphouse Creators, children (7-12 years) can make a colourful glockenspiel, their own Pithead Bath soap, and a poseable puppet, inspired by the seaside classic ‘Punch and Judy’. Over at STEAM Club, children (11-16 years) will create art using sunlight, make designs with natural ochre, and try their hand at ice cream making.

Every Friday in August, families (7+ years) can enjoy a Minecraft-themed escape room challenge. From solving riddles to cracking codes, quick thinking is required for groups to problem-solve their way out.

A variety of walks and tours are also running throughout the summer holidays. Discover the shadows of industry hidden in the landscape on a Heritage Walk, learn about the Museum’s innovative water treatment system, and take on a mining role in the Lister-Kaye Tunnel as part of Hope Pit Explore every Sunday.

Some special one-off events are also coming during the holidays. For Yorkshire Day on Thursday 1st August, the Museum will be celebrating with themed crafts and pop-up activities. All ages can enjoy a day of interactive science experiments facilitated by CHaOS (Cambridge Hands-On Science) on Saturday 10th August and find out how a rocket works and what sound looks like.

For those that want to get more involved with NCMME, Volunteer Open Days are running on Friday 9th and Saturday 10th August.

NCMME’s summer offer runs from Saturday 20th July to Sunday 1st September and is open Wednesday to Sunday. During the six-week holidays, a charge of £5 per car is payable on arrival and includes access to the site, the Beach, and unlimited rides on the Paddy Train.

Lynn Dunning, CEO said: “We have a jam-packed offer this Summer, celebrating how communities pulled together to support each other during the Miners’ Strike. With themed crafts and hands-on activities, all ages will experience history brought to life when they visit us this summer. There is truly something for everyone to enjoy – come rain or shine.”

To learn more, check out the NCMME website.

We appreciate your support, it really is invaluable, please share the article, and make sure to join the KLTV WhatsApp Community today!