EVENTS with an Easter theme have been organised for visitors at Beamish Museum over the school holidays.
The visitor attraction will show how Easter was celebrated from the 1820s to the 1950s next weekend, from April 15 to 18.
It is includes traditional baking and food displays, craft activities and egg and spoon races.
Paul Foster, Beamish’s historic events officer, said: “There’s lots happening at the museum for the Easter holidays.
“There’s something for all the family. Plus, there’s Easter activities happening all over the museum during the Easter weekend, including wreath making, egg painting, food displays, animal puppet and pompom making.”
There will also be a golden egg trail for visitors to have a go at, which runs throughout the school holidays from April 9 to 24.
There is a range of exciting transport and music-themed events and activities happening over this period, starting with the Beamish Steam Gala this weekend followed by the Tractor Gathering April 23 and 24 and a Skiffle Session on April 24.
Mr Foster said: “As with all daytime events, visitors can use their Unlimited Pass or Friends of Beamish membership to enjoy all of these amazing events and activities during the local Easter holidays.”
So what can you see and do?
The Beamish Steam Gala takes place this weekend, Saturday and Sunday April 9 and 10.
The museum will play host to over 20 road steam engines and rollers, along with around 25 internal combustion vehicles for this special transport-themed weekend.
The Colliery Railway and narrow gauge lines will be in operation throughout the weekend. Beamish steam engines Peckett 1370 and Coffee Pot No. 1 will be operating on the standard gauge and on the narrow gauge will be Samson and Glyder. Visiting Kerr Stuart 0-4-0ST steam locomotive Peter Pan is celebrating its centenary year and recent overhaul and will be operating on the narrow gauge railway.
Fowler B6 Talisman will make its much-anticipated Beamish debut and will be joined by a number of accompanying Fowler road locomotives.
Steam traction engine Providence will be hauling Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway Preservation Society locomotive Whillan Beck.
Visitors can chat to members of the society about the locomotives and Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway in The Colliery Yard, where they will be displaying steam locomotive Katie.
There will be over 20 road steam engines (road locomotives, traction engines, steam rollers, showman’s engines and steam cars), based in Rowley Station yard and travelling around the museum site.
See around 25 pre-war 1939 cars, motorcycles and bicycles based on the Events Field travelling clockwise around site. Plus, see if you can spot the two Scammell lorries!
There will be stone crusher displays in The Colliery Yard area, with the crusher driven by a portable engine.
Puffing Billy will be in action taking visitors on short steam train rides through the Georgian Landscape at the 1820s Waggonway and the museum’s trams and buses will be running around site.
The Friends of Beamish will be operating a variety of cars, motorcycles and bicycles from Beamish’s own collections throughout the event and external vehicle owners will be operating.
Plus, keep an eye out for the Gordon Highlanders First World War Re-enactors.
Singaround Sunday also takes place on Sunday, April 10.
The Cloth Cap Temperance Band will be in The 1900s Pit Village band hall from 11am to 2pm, where they’ll be playing foot-tapping tunes.
Visitors can join in with some traditional music, songs and dance in The 1900s Pit Village band hall from 1.30pm until 3pm on Monday, April 11 for Musical Mondays.
On Thursday, April 14, Beamish’s Transport Collection Thursdays event will give visitors the opportunity to see some of the amazing transport collections which are less often on display at Beamish.
Army band cadets will be playing music in locations around the museum.
During Easter Weekend, from April 15-18, visitors can join in with ‘egg-cellent’, traditional Easter celebrations.
• There will be cracking Easter-themed activities around the museum including egg decorating and egg and spoon races
• Visitors can spot the golden egg in our egg hunt trail and can pick up a certificate from the entrance on the way out for completing it.
• See traditional food displays, make a traditional Easter decoration and paint eggs at 1820s Pockerley Old Hall.
• There will be Easter animal puppet making, egg crafts and traditional food displays at the Land Girls’ cottage at The 1940s Farm.
• In Francis Street in The 1900s Pit Village you can see traditional Easter dishes being made including fish pie, hot cross buns, meat with roasted vegetables and Yorkshire puddings, and jam and lemon tarts. Plus, make your very own Easter wreath in the school.
• There will be Easter card making in the Masonic Hall in The 1900s Town, and in the dentist’s kitchen visitors will be able to see Easter dishes, such as Mrs Beaton’s fish cakes, Simnel cake and hot cross buns, being made.
• Visitors will also be able to buy delicious hot cross buns and Simnel cake in Herron’s Bakery.
• Have a go at egg and spoon racing in the welfare hall in The 1950s Town.
• There will be pompom animal making at Spain’s Field Farm as well as egg painting and 1950s Easter food displays.
The museum’s 1950s farm will be open on all four days of the Easter weekend.
Visitors will be able to admire traditional tractors on display on the Events Field during the Tractor Gathering on April 23 and 24.
Visitors can join Hop, Skiffle and Jump playing in Beamish’s 1950s welfare hall on Sunday, April 24 from 12pm until 3pm for the popular Skiffle Sessions.
Listen to authentic music from the 50s played on tea chest bass, washboard, guitar and fiddle and join the choruses, clap your hands and tap your feet.
Sunderland & District Classic Vehicle Society visit Beamish Museum on Sunday, April 24.
The museum will play host to some magnificent vehicles from the society.
As with all daytime events, visitors can use their Beamish Unlimited Pass or Friends of Beamish membership to enjoy all of the events and activities happening at the museum during the local school holidays.
Visitors need to pre-book museum entry for 10am, 11am and 12pm timeslots to help manage the flow of visitors during the busiest times.
If visiting from 1pm onwards, visitors will not need to pre-book with last admission one hour before closing time.
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