Islington children hold their Gallipoli wreath before the march past. Photo: Ana Baião

Amongst the marchers at the Cenotaph in London on Remembrance Sunday was a group from the Gallipoli Association and we were delighted to be able to include four children from Tufnell Park Primary School in the group.

The four children – Amy, Charlie, Natalie and Ruby – were chosen to represent the school by their teacher Mr. Shuttleworth.  They said, ‘It was an opportunity to take part in an experience of a lifetime. It helped us realise and feel the importance of remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice.’

The Cenotaph © Crown Copyright

The children brought a wreath which joined the carpet of red beneath the Cenotaph. On the wreath were the words, ‘It is an honour to stand in the presence of our Lord, as we give thanks to the brave souls who sacrificed their lives to make our world a better place. May they rest in peace. Let the memory of Gallipoli live on through generations.’  Amy, Natalie, Saskia – Perseus Class, Tufnell Park Primary.

Also in the party was Ana Baião from Islington Museum. Tufnell Park Primary School is one of five in Islington working with the Museum as part of the Gallipoli Centenary Education Project.  Soldiers from Islington went out to Gallipoli a century ago and the schools are exploring their stories.  Today the Borough has a large Turkish community so the project is also looking at different perspectives of the Campaign.  Working with musicians Jonathan Rees and Firat Derat, the schools are learning both British and Turkish music from the period and creating new sound pieces, bringing to life the soldiers’ experiences.

Meanwhile two local secondary schools are taking a different approach, creating a large textile banner based on the local story of Gallipoli.

There will be more here about these exciting Gallipoli projects in the coming weeks.