Milestones Audioguide programme

Many schools who visit Milestones choose to use our audioguides as part of their visit. Audioguides are easy to use listening devices which combine narrative, music and sound effects.

The guides give young visitors to the museum a fascinating and educational account of the different scenes, streets and displays within the museum.

The programmes are tailored to link with the national curriculum for five to eleven year olds and cover a wide range of topics for pupils studying Victorian Britain and Britain Since 1930. The Victorian programme is pitched at different levels to make it accessible for children in KS1, Lower KS2 and Upper KS2.

Milestones’ Audioguide Programme for Primary Schools has won an award for its interpretation of the county’s history. The company which produced the hand-held audioguides, Acoustiguide Ltd., has won an ‘Interpret Britain’ award, in a scheme organised by the Association for Heritage Interpretation. The award is in recognition of the Audioguide Programme for Primary Schools, which was introduced to Milestones in October 2001.

The audioguides allow groups to work at their own pace and listen to information in their own time. The way the audioguide programmes run is that adult helpers are provided with maps with numbers on them. The numbers relate to the keys that need to be pressed on the audioguides to hear the correct commentary. To operate the audioguides, you find the correct number on your audioguide map, key it into the audioguide and press the green ‘Play’ button. The commentary can be paused at any time by pressing the square yellow ‘Pause’ button. To stop the commentary you can press the red button with a ‘C’ for cancel. You can adjust the volume and fast forward or rewind at any time.

The great thing about audioguides is they give schools the ability to be flexible with how time is managed during their visit.

To accompany the audioguides there are also hands on activities and costumed interpreters who work in period costume.

Audioguide sample

Listen to a sample from the KS1 Victorian audioguide, or read the text below

On the corner of Jubilee Street is a Victorian Ironmonger, and the best place to see it is to stand in front of the shop window. Press pause while you find it and play when you are ready.

This T M Kingdons, a Victorian Ironmongers shop.

It was known as an ironmongers as many of the things it sold were made of metal including iron. In Victorian times, it was also a very important shop as it sold all sorts of things that could be used in the home.

Look through the window and see what sort of things you can name. Press pause while you look and play when you are ready.

Can you see the large blue and white jug sitting in a bowl? It's over to the right of the window. This was for washing your hands and face, as most houses had no taps or running water upstairs.