National Waterfront Museum

We had a very successful and educational trip to the Waterfront Museum on the 19th September, we started off learning about different kinds of energy we use today, the different applications they can be put to, and where they come from. We then moved on to find out more about the history and development of the Swansea Bay area, and marvel at the achievements of some famous and successful locals, including Aneurin Bevan, who founded the NHS, and Laura Ashley, who was born in Merthyr Tydfil and founded the fashion chain, bringing a lot of work to Wales when business moved to Montgomeryshire.

Being the National Waterfront Museum, we also learned about the maritime history of South Wales, and the different routes ships travelled with different cargoes. Some of the most interesting points the Museum makes are about how people in Wales have lived over the past few hundred years, from work, shopping habits, clothing, money, family, and the role that women play in society, and we particularly enjoyed exploring mid-19th century Swansea through a census taken in 1851, which showed how small and cramped some people's living conditions were, with up to 12 occupants in one small house!

The variety of different technology used in the displays was amazing, and we had a lot of fun trying out some futuristic computers and trying out shopping in the past, trying to feed a family on a miner's salary. One of the most interesting parts of the museum was the mining gallery, as we'd visited Big Pit in August, and it was interesting to see how the two different museums managed to display the history of mining in different ways.

We had a lot of fun, and there was so much to do and see that we actually ran out of time, so we'd love to go back some time. Thank you to everyone who came, and to all the staff at the museum, who were very friendly and helpful and were always around to tell us stories and add even more interesting information to the displays, a good time was had by all!