England ... The Working Museum

We went to a historical town called Beamish yesterday.  They call it a "working museum" as the people who work here actually use the buildings and equipment as they did in the past.  Most of the homes had fires lit and the workers were there baking or washing or whatever they were up to.  It's set around 1800-1900 or so but there were buildings that originate from around year 1000.  It's a typical historical town that shows how the people lived in the day.  The buildings are old but as far as I can tell they look pretty much the same as those buildings and homes in the actual villages and town around Durham and I'm sure those all over England.  This makes a lot of England a working museum as far as the buildings are concerned.  Anyways, Beamish shows how the coal miners lived and worked back in the day.  To say it was difficult work conditions would be an understatement.  8 hours in the mine working in virtual darkness without a mask or earplugs.  The average life span of a miner was 47 years.  There weren't many other options so the mine it was and for many from the age of 14.  No Thanks!!!