PUPILS from a Cheddleton school enjoyed a real-life history lesson at an evacuee day.

St Edward's First School took part in the event at Churnet Valley Railway in the village as an introduction to their topic on World War Two.

About 75 pupils had the chance to dress up as evacuees before walking to the railway in Station Road, to give them an insight into what being evacuated was like.

The pupils were also treated to a wartime menu.

The evacuation of Britain's cities at the start of World War Two was the biggest and most concentrated mass movement of people in Britain's history.

In the first four days of September 1939, nearly three million people were transported from towns and cities in danger from enemy bombers to places of safety in the countryside.

Most were schoolchildren, who had been labelled like pieces of luggage, and were separated from their parents.

Andrea Higgins, a Year Three teacher at St Edward's, said everyone enjoyed the day.

She said: "The children got to look at some artefacts in the museum and took part in a quiz about some different posters.

"They were told about rationing and got to see what evacuees were allowed. They even got to taste some of the food."

Ruth Balah, aged 45, has worked at the railway for 14 months and takes on the role of the cook on the evacuee days.

She said: "I cook vegetable pie, tripe and liver and onions mainly. It's great that the children have a chance to taste it, because they are foods you don't often hear of any more.

"We don't tell them what it is they are trying at first, and they like it, until you tell them what it is they are eating.

"I enjoy seeing their reactions when we show them the shopping basket of rations.

"They just can't believe the amount of food evacuees had for one week. I think they were horrified that two ounces of ham was a weekly limit."

The children also took part in a suitcase exercise, in which they were shown what they would have been allowed to take and experienced carrying it.

Richard Tufft, a volunteer at the railway, acts as the billeting officer in the evacuee auction.

He said: "Part of my job as a billeting officer is to line up the children and wait and see if they get picked and taken home.

"This is a very important time for them becuase if they don't get picked at this stage, they start to worry about where they will live."

After the auction, children were split into groups and able to meet up with war veterans and ask them questions.

Mr Tufft, who has been volunteering at the education days for two years now, said: "I thoroughly enjoy it.

"The highlight of the day for me is the train journey. The pupils go from Cheddleton to Froghall and are taken through the tunnel and then there's a 'light failure' and everyone starts screaming."

The aim of the train failure is to enable the children to experience the feeling of the blackout. Mr Tufft said: "By the look on the children's faces, they had a great day and the teachers certainly enjoyed it."

The event was the 12th Churnet Valley Railway have held this year, all of which have been a sell-out.

Margaret Mountford, commercial manager at the railway, said: "The evacuee days are the most popular school days that we do. We do exploration days as well, but with this one, children get a real-life history lesson."