'Life During Wartime'
Commissioned by Heritage Lottery we delivered a week long inter generational project in a local primary school in Hastings with the most wonderful help from people who lived through the Second World War
Programme of Events
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Day 1 - "It's War" - Preparing for Evacuation
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Day 2 - "Missing Mum" Evacuate School to Newhaven Redoubt
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Day 3- "I'm Hungry" Rationing & Digging for Victory
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Day 4- "We Were There" - Life in Wartime - Make Do and Mend
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Day 5- "It's Over!" - V.E. Day Celebration
For one week local older people joined school children to share their memories of war time England. Together they made gas mask boxes, experienced evacuation and visited the Newhaven Redoubt Museum, shared rations and dug for Victory in the newly created Victory Garden.
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The end of the week saw the last day of the second world war. Together everyone made banners and bunting and shared food in a celebration of VE Day Street Party in the school playground.
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After participating in this project, Bill, one of our older people became one of the oldest students to attend Hastings University. Bill signed up for a 3 year degree course and became a mentor to students attending the humanities and social history courses.
The 'Life During Wartime' Project was a rewarding experience for all who took part.
The Project enabled school children and older people to meet, talk, share and gave opportunity for real life history lessons for the children to discover what life was actually like for most people living during war time.
Many were afraid, some fell in love and all, without exception, were very happy and relieved when the war ended.
'I didn't think anybody was interested in my life'
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'the children were fascinated and really enjoyed listening to us!'
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'I really enjoyed hearing about the air raids...they were so brave'