Titanic legacy brings pupils together from Birkenhead and Belfast schools

Jun 27 2012 by Lorna Hughes, Heswall News

A WIRRAL school joined forces with youngsters in Belfast for a drama project marking 100 years since the sinking of the Titanic.

Children from Bidston Avenue primary school in Birkenhead formed a special link last summer with Dundonald primary in the Northern Ireland capital, where the ill-fated liner was built.

Pupils have exchanged letters and last month the Wirral school watched a performance of Titanic play She Was Alright When She Left Us by Dundonald pupils live on the internet.

Last week 43 pupils from Bidston Avenue primary flew to Belfast to meet their Northern Irish counterparts for the first time.

The school link came about after a chance meeting with Philip Crawford from the Lyric Theatre in Belfast, which is helping schools across Northern Ireland produce a series of specially-commissioned plays focusing on the people who built Titanic.

Bidston Avenue headteacher Stuart Brady said: “The two areas are very similar with their shipbuilding heritage and we have learned a lot from each other through the Titanic connection.”

During the three-day visit Birkenhead and Belfast pupils, all 10 or 11, performed scenes from She Was Alright When She Left Us.

Bidston Avenue primary was the first school outside Northern Ireland to become involved with the project.

During their stay the Birkenhead pupils also visited the new Titanic experience at Belfast Docks.

The trip was supported by National Museums Northern Ireland, who provided accommodation for children and staff at the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum.

Lilly Piper, 11, from Birkenhead, said: “It’s been exciting and the whole experience has been fun. I learned a lot of things about the history of Titanic.”