Pupils from a Sunderland school were the first children to step inside the new recreation of The Grand Cinema at Beamish. What a treat!
The open air museum known and loved by thousands has recreated The Grand – which was located originally in St Paul’s Terrace – two streets away from St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School in Ryhope.
The cinema was a popular venue for people in Ryhope in the 1950s for screening films, newsreels, and adverts, before later being transformed into a bingo hall. The building really is the gift that keeps on giving.
A range of exciting activities to mark this special occasion
The primary school, which is part of Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust, worked closely with the museum to arrange a special trip for pupils to see the new and exciting 1950s-style cinema. Even better, Beamish kindly funded the transport for the school children and staff to attend!
Understandably, the children were thrilled at the prospect of dressing up in vintage clothing, looking exactly how their families in Ryhope would have looked in years gone by.
As if the trip itself wasn’t enough, pupils enjoyed a range of fun activities; Reception children made their own ice-cream, Year 1 had a workshop playing with toys from the past, and Year 2 experienced a Victorian school lesson.
For the Key Stage 2 children, the activities were focused on the cinema itself; Year 3 made advertisement slides (which were then shown on The Grand screen during their visit); Years 4 and 5 created posters (which will be placed on the billboards outside the cinema), and Years 5 and 6 created short films, which were shown on the big screen during their visit.
Holly Hargrave in Year 6 said: “The Grand was exquisite and I felt really proud of my class when we appeared on the screen in front of everyone!”
Executive Head Teacher Jane Ward said: “We are so excited to be involved with this very special Beamish project. Our children are so very proud of the history and heritage of Ryhope and to see ‘The Grand’ restored to its former glory was absolutely wonderful.”
Chris Zarraga, Director of Schools North East, said: “What a brilliant opportunity for the students at St Patrick’s – one they’ll certainly not be in a hurry to forget.
“Beamish is an iconic part of our region and to have had their support in involving the children to enhance their learning, and giving them exclusive access to the space, is truly fantastic.”
St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School is a Schools North East Partner School. If you’d like to find out more about our Partner Programme, click here.
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