F]our-wheeled carriages, covered with canvas, and having at one end of them an umbrella of the same materials which is let down to the surface of the water, so that the bather descending from the machine by a few steps is concealed from the public view, whereby the most refined female is enabled to enjoy the advantages of the sea with the strictest delicacy. [2]

When Queen Victoria died at Osborne in 1901 it left a vacuum arguably much more dramatic in its consequences for the estate than that of its creator, Prince Albert. Osborne was the private property of the royal family but Victoria’s successor, Edward VII (1841–1910), did not need it. No other member of the royal family wanted to take on the upkeep of Osborne, and on Coronation Day 1902 the king gave the estate to the nation. [7] In 1986 English Heritage assumed the management of Osborne and since then has carried out much external repair and internal redecoration and re-presentation. The royal nursery suite on the second floor of the Pavilion was recreated and opened to the public in 1989.

Man and woman in swimsuits, c. 1910. The woman is exiting a bathing machine. Once mixed-sex bathing became socially acceptable, the days of the bathing machine were numbered.

The Queen's Beach and Bathing Machine: The private beach was opened to the public in 2012. Families can swim and picnic there. During the summer months, there are traditional Punch and Judy shows. A shuttle bus takes visitors from the house to the beach throughout the day. While you are at the beach, you can have a look inside Queen Victoria's "bathing machine." In the Victorian era, swimming in the sea was a new thing and something in which women rarely indulged. But fashions changed and it was considered healthy to immerse oneself in salt water — or at least get a bit wet. The bathing machines were little cabins on wheels that were towed out into sea by horses — or sometimes servants. Inside would be a change of dry clothing and other supplies. When the bathing machine was in place, the ladies, dressed head to toe in Victorian swimming costumes, would be helped down a short flight of steps, into the water. At Osborne House, you can go inside Queen Victoria's machine.

Oulton, W. C. (1805). The Traveller's Guide; or, English Itinerary. Vol.II. Ivy-Lane, London: James Cundee. p.245. In 1847, the Traveller’s Miscellany and Magazine of Entertainment described a luxurious bathing machine: To support your child's learning you could ask them to explain how to brush their teeth, how to make make their bed or how to get dressed. Scathach – The Shadowy One – Legendary Martial Arts Teacher Who Trained Cuchulainn And Other Warriors During the Victorian era, it was much less common to be able to swim compared to today, and women in particular were generally inexperienced swimmers, especially given the often extensive and billowing swimwear that was the fashion at the time.

Among all of the strange contraptions that the Victorians invented, bathing machines are amongst the most bizarre. Invented in the early to mid-18th century, at a time when men and women had to legally use separate parts of the beach and sea, bathing machines were designed to preserve a woman’s modesty at the seaside by acting as a changing room on wheels that could be dragged into the water. The State Rooms: The rooms where the queen entertained dignitaries and celebrities and conducted state business include a Council Room where she met with members of her Privy Council; a dining room set for a formal dinner in 1850; an opulent drawing room, decorated with yellow satin, mirrors and cut glass, and a billiards room where the queen and ladies of her court sometimes played. According to some sources, the bathing machine was developed in 1750 in Margate, Kent. That version was probably intended to conceal the user until they were mostly submerged in the water because, at the time, bathing costumes were not yet common and most people bathed nude. "Mr. Benjamin Beale, a Quaker, was the inventor of the Bath Machine. Their structure is simple, but quite convenient; and by means of the umbrella, the pleasures of bathing may be enjoyed in so private a manner, as to be consistent with the strictest delicacy." [7] In the Scarborough Public Library, there is an engraving by John Setterington dated 1736 which shows people bathing and is popularly believed to be first evidence for bathing machines; however Devon claims this was a year earlier in 1735. [8] Woman in bathing suit, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, 1893 Family Rooms: These rooms offer an intimate glimpse into the private lives of Albert, Victoria and their nine children. The nursery has been restored and furnished as it might have been when the royal family was in residence. You can also see the queen's personal bath and the bedroom where she died in 1901. Albert's private suite, was virtually untouched after he died and some of the things he used are still where he left them. Mystery Of The Large Ancient Boulders In Ireland And Britain – Possible Connection To The City Of Troy?

Lara Feigel, Alexandra Harris, Modernism on Sea: Art and Culture at the British Seaside (2009), p. 212

In our maths work this term we are taking a look at weight and measure. We have been having a wonderful time weighing objects around the classroom - not only have we used the correct mathematical vocabulary like 'heaviest' and 'lightest' but we are now weighing objects to the nearest gram (g). To ensure we have a good understanding of weight we are reading a variety of scales (horizontal, vertical and circular). Walton, John K. (1983). The English Seaside Resort: A Social History, 1750-1914. Leicester University Press. ISBN 978-0-312-25527-5. Cubitt recommended that rather than alter the old house it would be best to build a new one, and proceeded to design it in collaboration with Prince Albert.In Persuasion by Jane Austen, the principal street in the town of Lyme is said to be “animated with bathing machines” during the season. On Fridays, Mrs Thomas will be teaching Green Class Spanish followed by Animation. She will be linking this with our topic of survival to create a short animation based on what we have learnt this term. To support our main theme this term, our science topic is Living Things. We will be thinking about habitats, diet and how animals can adapt to survive in different locations of the world.