Evacuee visits

21 May 2018

An elderly evacuee speaks to four schoolchildren in striped uniforms gathered round a table, listening and taking notes in a library setting with bookshelves in the background during an evacuee visit. An elderly woman with white hair, an evacuee visiting the school, shows an old newspaper or document to a group of children in uniforms gathered round a table. Over the course of their History lessons this week, pupils in Year 6 welcomed a group of Eastbourne residents to St Andrew’s Prep to discuss their experiences as evacuees during WW2.
Our lively historians did themselves proud. There was a wonderful buzz of conversation in the Library and an enjoyable time was had by all.
The story of Lou Jones (nee Hurd) was especially interesting as her father was a PE (PTI in those days) teacher at St Andrew’s Prep and the family were evacuated with the school to Berkshire during the war. On her return, she joined the boys for lessons, which made her the first female pupil at the school.
All of our visitors commented on how polite and well-mannered our Year 6 pupils were. Indeed, they were a credit to the school. A group of school children in striped uniforms stand behind three elderly women—evacuee visits—seated in chairs, all smiling, in a library with bookshelves and a wooden partition in the background.