Last updated 19:28, Thursday, 27 November 2008

SCHOOL mascot Beckstone Bear is to feature in a second educational book, which will be released next month.

He is the creation of Harrington’s Beckstone Primary School teacher Chrissie Clark, and the new book, called Beckstone Down’t Pit, focuses on pit life in the 1840s.

It follows a story that Chrissie wrote last year about the slave trade, which also featured the bear.

Chrissie, a reception teacher, said: “Haig Colliery Mining Museum approached me about 15 months ago, having seen the slave trade story.

“My initial thoughts were that I didn’t know the first thing about coal mining, but I did quite a lot of research and I think I have found a lot that is of interest.”

As with her previous book, Beckstone Down’t Pit will be accompanied by a DVD.

It is set to a rhyming narrative and music by Alan and Eleanor Butler, of The Miner’s Lamp Theatre Company.

The images show bears acting out scenes from the book, with Beckstone and friends mining coal and going about daily life in the 1840s.

Museum manager Pamela Telford initially contacted Chrissie to ask her if she would be interested in writing the book.Pamela said: “We found that young children weren’t coming to the museum, possibly because the environment is quite cold.“Teachers didn’t give coal a thought, and didn’t see how it would fit into their planning.“We will be giving copies of the book to Beckstone school and the children’s ward of the West Cumberland Hospital.”

It is unlikely to be the last book featuring the school mascot, as there are more ideas in the pipeline for future adventures, said Chrissie.

Copies of Beckstone Down’t Pit will be available at the Haig Colliery Mining Museum’s Christmas Fair on December 6.

The museum, on Solway Road, Whitehaven, will be open from noon until 4pm and entry to the fair will be free.