When Julie Marston, who teaches in a primary school in the Nottinghamshire village of East Bridgford, read the regular Hill Mead Herald page in a copy of the Brixton Bugle, she had an idea.
Her idea came to life last week when pupils from Hill Mead primary on Brixton’s Moorlands estate and from St Peter’s primary in East Bridgford exchanged visits.
Julie’s daughter Jessica volunteers at the Loughborough Junction Platform community café and Julie saw a copy of the Bugle when she visited her there. She was impressed by the Hill Mead Herald page written by Brixton pupils.
She contacted Hill Mead and the two schools arranged exchange visits that took place in the past week.
In Nottinghamshire, 54 year 5 children and eight staff from Hill Mead experienced local activity, including a demonstration by Elizabeth Kneafsey, the Wild Wool Shepherdess, and met farmer James Fisher and his tractor “Ding Dong”.
They also tried the local speciality, Stilton cheese.
In Brixton, St Peter’s pupils toured local highlights and at both get-togethers the pupils worked together on a variety of projects, including the creation of slime at Hill Mead.
It was only as the visits took place that a remarkable coincidence came to light. Jane Swain, who helps with reading at St Peter’s, told the visiting Hill Mead party that her daughter Hester Kidson is a teacher at the Brixton School. Hester actually attended St Peter’s for a few years. Hester, who had, until then, not been involved in the visits, was on hand to welcome St Peter’s pupils to Brixton.
East Bridgford, which lies a few miles east of Nottingham, has a population of less then 2,000.
Look out for a full report in a future issue of the Bugle.
