Whittingham pupils celebrate Northumberland Day

Headteacher, Belinda Athey wanted everyone to have a ‘muckle bari’ time at a series of events to mark Northumberland Day.

The children thought back in time to when they worked on a local dialect project with James Tait which led to an appearance on BBC Countryfile.

Local artist and writer Frances Buckingham taught the children to let down their hair and dance to the Northumbrian beat.

The next day all the children and staff came to school dressed in the colours of the Northumbrian flag and had a day of fun and learning!

The children in the nursery and reception class made their own Northumbrian flag decorations whilst modelling in playdough (yellow and red) they also looked at pictures of Northumbrian landmarks and spent a great time having a crack about their favourite places to visit – Alnwick Garden and Cragside being amongst their favourites!

The children in Year 1 and 2 made their own matchbox memory boxes, while pupils inYears 3,4,5 and 6 worked with Sally Brewis and her volunteers from Baliffgate Museum in Alnwick to decipher local dialect.

They then made peg dolls and listened to James Tait’s original children’s story ‘ The World of Lightness’

School cook, Mary Arkle served up mince cobbler, pan haggerty and Northumbrian vegetables followed by a special Northumbrian flag cake.

Avril Huntley, came to teach the children songs  about Spuggy’s and ‘Having a game for the crack’, The Waggon Way’ and a finale of

‘The Canny Shepherd Laddie o’ the Hills’.