CHILDREN will protest on the streets of a museum to mark the centenary of a little-known episode of North-East history.

In 1917, the starving children of Washington miners refused to return to the classroom until they were given free school meals.

About 1,000 children joined the Washington Children’s Strike and won their fight after two days, returning to school where they were fed soup.

The anniversary of their protest will be commemorated with a series of activities at Beamish Museum over the half-term holidays.

Children will stage a march through the museum and take part in a host of hands-on activities including making flags, singing protest songs, sampling poor man’s soup and visiting exhibitions on the anniversary.

Museum staff have been working with eight schools in Washington and Sunderland to explore the history of the Children’s Strike.

Faced with First World War food shortages and half pay, the miners of Usworth and Washington were struggling to feed their families in 1917.

Children of parents who earned less than 24 shillings a week were entitled to free school meals, but the miners earned an average of 26 shillings a week so were not eligible.

A meeting was called at the Alexandra Theatre, in New Washington, and more than 1,600 miners attended.

A strike was called at nine Washington schools, involving at least 1,000 children, with confrontations on the street between striking pupils and the families of non-miners.

After two days, the authorities agreed to increase the earnings threshold for support to 27 shillings.

Simon Woolley, Head of Learning at Beamish, said: “The children have truly lived the experience.

“They have explored old maps, newspaper reports, photographs and artefacts, they have sung strike songs, made banners, interviewed miners and demonstrated on The Town street at the museum.”

Events to mark the anniversary take place at Beamish Museum from February 18 to 26.