Special visit by ex-war veteran

Year five pupils learnt more than they bargained for when an ex-war veteran made a special visit to their class.

82 year old Charlie Tyrell, from Everton, visited the pupils at Blacklow Brow Primary School, Huyton, after hearing about a project they were studying on World War II.

The pupils were asked to collect any information on the war they could from older relatives. One of the pupils, Lee Thompson, told his great grandmother about the project, who shared this with her friends in Roby Court retirement home, Huyton.

Charlie, a resident at the home, was keen to help the pupils with their project and offered to visit the school to share his experiences.

He took along with him a copy of a book he had written about his experiences during the Second World War, titled ‘Grandad’s War’, and spent the afternoon educating the children on what it was like to live during that time.

The children had the opportunity to ask questions and showed Charlie the work they had been doing, including learning how the war affected Liverpool and the ‘May blitz’.

Following Charlie’s visit, the pupils were invited to visit Roby Court retirement home to chat to other residents who lived during the war, where they extended their knowledge even further.

Charlie was so inspired by the work the pupils had done that he decided to write another book, titled ‘Magic and Memories’ based on their work. He then visited the school a second time, taking along copies of the book for each of the children to keep.

Sheila Walmsley, Head teacher at Blacklow Brow said, “The children were very excited to meet someone who had lived through the war, having the opportunity to learn from someone who had first-hand experience of what it was like. It was really kind of Charlie to come in and share with the children his knowledge and experiences, as well as producing the fantastic book for each of them.

“It has been an extremely valuable experience for all involved and has strengthened our links with the surrounding community.”

Damian Allen, Executive Director for Children and Family Services said, “It’s great to see the children getting involved in this project. It’s important that we educate the younger generations about the world wars and the historical significance of such events on the freedoms and rights we enjoy today. Rather than doing this through books and other media, there is something powerfully moving and relevant that comes from seeing the older generation who lived through these times, sharing their first hand experiences. I’m sure the children got a lot out of the day.

“I’d like to thank Charlie and the residents at Roby Court for taking the time to chat to the children and share their experiences with them.”

Year five pupils from Blacklow Brow gather round to learn about Charlie’s fascinating war experiences.