Court room drama.

I went on a day trip around St Albans which was organised by the Museum.

I met my friends there. First, we looked at the Museum's Victorian Gadgets exhibition. They were funny eg. a moustache spoon and a electric comb to make your hair grow. Of course it will, and a bed brick you heat it and sleep with it in the night to warm you up.

Then we went on a trail around St Albans. The Museum curator gave us a sheet and the younger ones take folders.I got a folder which had a sheet in it. We set off and saw a stench pipe, the Clarence park fountain, bandstand, cricket pavillion, park entrance, the Grimstone road prison, a railway signal box, an elementary school, a church and a straw hat factory.  The park had been set up and donated to St Albans by Sir John Blundell. Lady Maple contributed the water fountain. See   http://www.stalbans.gov.uk/leisure-and-culture/parks-and-green-space/parks/Clarence-Park/clarenceparkhistrorHistory.aspx The talk and walk showed us how a typical town developed during the victorian age from agricultural land and work, to work in factories, commuting into cities, school for all children etc etc.

In the afternoon we reenacted real court cases in a real court from the period. In the first I was John Edwards who was accused of throwing snow balls over a grave. In the last one, my friend and I were accused of stealing cheese from another friend. The sentances were very harsh and not at all like they would be today.

Afterwards, we went down under the court room to see where they would wait to be called up. It was very small and would have been frightening.