Victorian letter

Dear Harry,
It may seem slightly weird at first but this letter is from the future; about one hundred and twenty years from when you were nine years old and living at the Anchor maker’s House. Don’t be alarmed, please, read on. I implore you!

A few days ago, my class and I visited a museum in an area known as The Black Country. It is called this because when you subsisted there, there were mammoth clouds of raven smoke and the sky was drizzled grey. Coal was your main source of fuel and centre of attention in the Victorian period, even though it isn’t so good for the environment. We still use coal today, though not as often, nowadays we use new energy sources such as Hydroelectric (water movement), and Wind power. We use things called wind turbines- they are very similar to windmills.

A main difference between now and then is that we have the upper hand on electricity, energy is so much easier to come by in the 21^st century. If we want light- a flick of a switch and we get light; we want warmth we turn on our central heating- no fire, no candles. One of the inventions to replace the toasting fork- something that we saw in your house- is a toaster, not as fun but easier to use. Ours can toast multiple pieces of bread at the same time.

A surprise that occurred whilst seeing your house was the toilets. You had to get up in the middle of the night- whether it be cold, rainy, snowy or dark- and go outside to the loo! Today we have two toilets (none of which are outside) that both flush all of the waste into the sewers. One thing’s for sure – we are definitely more environmentally responsive. An advantage to living in the Victorian era was that you didn’t live far from a food shop – it wasn’t just a food shop though! –you lived right next to one! The food you bought was less expensive but not so good for you. You and your family ate the bread until it was hard, but even then your mum toasted it, dipped it in some soup and then you carried on eating it (we don’t do that anymore). Instead we buy some bread and freeze it until it’s needed to make sure it doesn’t go mouldy.

I have to admit, sometimes I’m a little lazy. I don’t think about how hard my parent work to give me food and shelter and how hard you must have worked all day and night. You are amazing!  You help with the chores all the time and, usually, I don’t even answer to my parents asking me for my help or to tidy up. I learnt from spending a day in your world how hard life was and how hard you worked to buy simple things in life.

I should be grateful for everything I have that you didn’t. For showing me your world, I am truly thankful.

Writer: Anonymous