Queen's girls experience life in wartime shelters
The young girls from The Queen’s Lower School, Chester, donned their 1940’s clothing and grabbed their gas masks to take part in an evacuation exercise to Stockport Air Raid shelters.
Accompanied by members of the women’s Royal Air Force and nursing sisters, the group explored the labyrinth of tunnels that provided shelter and a home for families during the dark days of the Blitz. Their guides told them how the cold and damp tunnels could provide nightly protection for up to 7,000 people during the world war two bombing raids. The girls were impressed with the size of the tunnels, but didn’t relish the thought of sleeping there. Class 6 pupil, Lucy, said: “The beds were very damp and the whole area was freezing cold. I would have hated to sleep down there. I was a bit afraid that we were really going to be billeted at the end.” The Women’s Voluntary Service personnel guided them around the maze of tunnels singing popular songs like ‘Mr Hitler’ and ‘I like a nice cup of tea in the morning’, and sharing stories of life in the wartime tunnels. During their visit the students found out what life was like for children during the war. They learnt about wartime rations, tasted sugar sandwiches and were even taught about how to ‘make do and mend’ clothing. Headmistress, Felicity Taylor, said: “This was an exciting learning opportunity for the girls. Walking through the shelter helped them to understand the sensations and experiences that wartime children had. They were fascinated by the extent of the labyrinth of tunnels and began to appreciate the fear and discomfort the children must have endured.”
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Photo captions:
080514 Class 6 – Class 6 on their visit to Stockport.
080514 Shelter — (left to right) Lucy Middlehurst and Amber Prothero also in Class 6
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Press Contact: Mrs Jane Taylor, The Queen’s School, City Walls Road, Chester, CH1 2NN Tel: 01244 312078 Fax: 01244 321507 Email: jtaylor@queens.cheshire.sch.uk
Notes:
The Queen’s School, Chester, Cheshire is one of the country’s leading independent schools for girls aged 4 – 18. We have a nationally renowned reputation for academic excellence and in the latest Government league tables, published in January 2008, Queen’s A level results again placed us as the top school in Cheshire.
Our school celebrates young women and their potential. We prepare our girls to face their future with self-belief, energy and a ‘can do’ philosophy. Academic success is only one aspect of life at Queen’s and all girls are encouraged to explore their abilities, interests and passions in a wide range of extra-curricular activities. From drama, art and music to sports, community work and overseas adventures, the girls benefit from an education of the whole person, experiencing new challenges inside and outside the classroom.
At The Queen’s School, we seek to develop in each student a risk-taking spirit, leadership abilities, confidence and a love of learning. Our individual approach ensures each girl has the support she needs to thrive and succeed throughout her time here.
The school inhabits elegant Georgian and Victorian buildings, situated in a beautiful setting within walking distance of historic Chester. These surroundings prove a constant reminder of the heritage and traditional values that have shaped the school for more than 130 years.
Mrs Catherine Buckley is the headmistress of The Queen’s School with Mrs Felicity Taylor as head of the Lower School on Liverpool Road. The school has a number of bursaries available to very able students.
Past pupils include Beth Tweddle, Olympic Gymnast, Sarah Kelly, founder of the UK’s Neuromuscular Centre for muscular dystrophy and Vivienne Faull, the first woman to become Dean of an English Cathedral.
More information available from www.queens.cheshire.sch.uk
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