On Friday afternoon, Year 5 were delighted to be visited by a World War II evacuee, Mrs Eileen Farey, and her daughter, Mrs Leslie Harris, who kindly dressed as a land girl. Our visitors answered all of our questions and brought in interesting items from the war for us to see.

Eileen told us she and her sister were initially excited to be evacuated to Desborough but didn’t realise their parents would not be joining them. After six years with their foster family, the evacuees were scared to go back home.

We learnt more about what Desborough was like during the war and were shocked to discover that bombs were dropped over the town so that the pilots would have enough fuel to get home.

The children were fascinated and horrified to see the reality of different bathroom habits: newspaper or waxy toilet paper and chamber pots, let alone the tales of rats in the outside toilet!  

Thank you to our special guests for making history come alive.