Children at a Oxfordshire school were transported back to the 1940s as part of an interactive Second World War event.
Year 3 and 4 students at West Kidlington Primary School in Kidlington participated in the afternoon of activities, donning evacuee costumes while discovering what life was like on the home front.
An authentic Anderson shelter was constructed on the school premises, fitted with original-style furnishings including a wooden bed frame, oil lamps and vintage food containers, allowing children to experience how families sought protection during aerial bombardment.
Louisa Heywood, a facilitator of the programme, explained that some children found it difficult to comprehend spending an unspecified length of time inside such a compact environment without access to sanitation or electrical power.
Community members assisting with the gardens contributed to the educational experience by demonstrating the significance of wartime food production efforts.
Individual classes cultivated garden beds and sowed seasonal vegetables including potatoes, onions, spinach and broad beans.
The students will maintain responsibility for the crops until harvesting occurs during the colder months.
Lessons also covered food scarcity during the era and the contributions of agricultural workers.
Following the afternoon’s activities, children tasted traditional fare inspired by female farm workers, sampling meals comprising spam and nettle sandwiches, nasturtium leaves served with cheese, and smooth potato soup.
Heywood noted that the warm potato soup proved most popular among the participants, with additional portions prepared in slow cookers and distributed among the group.
The event concluded with a musical performance as one volunteer portraying a farm worker performed The Lambeth Walk on an euphonium instrument.