Living history tours inspired by Worcester’s connection to the Spitfire have been taking place at the Guildhall.
Pupils from two city schools - Tudor Grange Academy Worcester and Tudor Grange Primary Academy Perdiswell - are among those bringing history to life.
Perdiswell was home to an RAF landing ground during the Second World War - and it is that connection that inspired the Spitfire Project.
Pupils worked with Midland Actors Theatre to research the stories of people whose lives were connected to the iconic planes.
This week, they’ve been bringing those stories to life during guided tours of the Guildhall by playing the parts of pilots, officers, nurses, prisoners of war, citizens in bomb shelters and even the actor Clark Gable, who crash-landed in Worcester during the war.
Historian Carl Chinn talked to pupils yesterday about the Battle of Britain and Worcester mayor Louis Stephen opened the event.
Cllr Stephen said: “Immersive, tangible reenactment events such as this bring history to life in a way that no dry, crusty textbook could ever do.
“The engineering of the Spitfire and the bravery of the pilots was the turning point of the Second World War in the Battle of Britain.
READ MORE: Worcester school children to transport Guildhall back to Second World War
“If they had lost that battle, the war may have been lost and we’d all be living in a very different country. We owe so much to those brave men and women.”
The project was funded by a £41,406 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Tudor Grange Academy headteacher David Butler said he was “blown away” by the pupils taking part in the day.
“To stay in character as they have and to be as engaged as they are - it’s amazing,” he said.
“We’re really passionate about equity of experience - and this is a day they’ll remember forever.
“Credit must also go to Gavin Coles, the teacher who has led all of this. He has been brilliant.”
The Spitfire Project continues on Thursday and Friday at the Guildhall.
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