"Parachute of Stories"

The children based in Year 6 at Milnthorpe Primary School had a very informative trip at the beginning of the project when they went along to meet the “Young at Heart” Group. The older members of this local group had lots of interesting stories to tell about their childhood during and after WW2. The children listening carefully and back at school recounted these stories to each other.

One of the stories that fascinated everyone was told by an older lady who had lived in Barrow as a child during WW2 bombing raids on the town. One night a bomb fell on her house and she remembered how her mother had thrown herself over her and her sister to protect them. They survived and as they stared out into the garden, she saw how the parachute from the bomb had got caught in the trees.

KWoA artist Pam Williamson then created a thought provoking “Parachute of Stories” installation which was displayed at Christ the King Catholic Church in Milnthorpe as part of community celebrations. This striking structure proved to be the perfect backdrop on which to showcase the children’s creative writing work which was inspired by all the captivating stories they were told by their older neighbours. It also highlights the importance of passing down stories through the generations.