A Bostin' Day Out

We had hoped to get to the Black Country Museum before Christmas but we couldn't fit it in. It closes tomorrow for a few weeks so we decided to go today while it was still Christmassy. 
Miss E had plans to meet a friend for coffee and Miss L wanted to get on with her art homework, so it was just Mr K, me and my mum.
I worried that we might have to cancel because of the dire weather warnings but the snow didn't look like it was going to arrive until the evening so we decided to risk it. 
And I put sleeping bags and blankets in the car just in case!!
It was only about two degrees but with no wind it didn't feel too bad and we were bundled up like Arctic explorers. Even Mr K wore a scarf!!
It was lovely seeing all the houses decorated, many with fires roaring, and not too busy. I bet it was heaving before Christmas!
We had a look round the fascinating brickmaking workshops; the tool making factory (which, according to the owners, made the hammer which was taken to the moon to be dropped with a feather and prove what Galileo had concluded hundreds of years before - that all objects released together fall at the same rate regardless of mass.); farmworkers' cottages; the tollhouse; and then the toasty warm Workers' Institute for some much needed sustenance - huge jacket potatoes with beans and cheese (me and mum) tuna mayo for greedy Mr K to go with his tomato soup. It was delish!
Then we carried on to the pub, general store, builders merchant, motorbike shop, gentleman's outfitters, chemist, radio shop, sweet shop, bakers, hardware store. Many with living quarters above or out the back which show lives which in some ways are unimaginably different to ours and in some ways so similar! Even when they didn't have much money they still took pride in decorating the house with greenery and ribbon, or paper cut outs, or angels made of string.
There's so much to see! The fabulous cinema in an old pre-fab hut; the demonstration of chain manufacturing; the shared washhouses, the canal; the pigsties and hen houses, the fairground, the 1950s post office and newsagent - complete with original packaging showing just how much chocolate bars have shrunk!
The 'Mothercraft' hall which was like stepping into an episode of Call the Midwife.
We had been looking forward to seeing the pair of Cast Iron Houses (built as an innovative response to post-World War One housing shortages) one dressed as it would have been in the 1940s and next door in the 1960s. Annoyingly it was just before closing time and the 1940s one was locked already. We went round the back and snuck in the back door of the 1960s one and nipped through into the living room. Just brilliant!! We were halfway up the stairs when a stern looking woman appeared at the top and told us in no uncertain terms that they were closed and we had to leave. So close!!!! It will definitely be our first stop next time. 
Then it was time to go - with a quick stop in the shop for the obligatory fridge magnet. 
We stopped at servicies on the M5 because it had been many hours since my last cup of tea! It's very hard to explain but there was something very odd going on with the road markings in the car park and it looked like we were parked in the middle of a zebra crossing. Me and mum went in and left Mr K in the car filled with horror as pedestrians edged round the car looking daggers at him. We were crying laughing!!
The journey home was painless - no sign of the snow yet. There wasn't a repeat of the excitement on the way up when an unmarked police car in front of us suddenly turned on his lights and waved at us to slow down, and four or five more police cars appeared.
I noticed an Audi staying in the fast lane just inches in front of a police car and said "you'd think that Audi would want to get out of the way!!" 
Of course it was the Audi they were after!
We were brought to a gradual halt, another few police cars appeared and they got the Audi onto the hard shoulder just in front of us. We didn't have a good view but they got their man out and after a few minutes they all drove off and we were on our way again. Very exciting, and very impressive!!!