Camden New Journal - by SARA NEWMAN Published: 6 December 2007
Gospel Oak pupils Phoenix Murray, Tom
Ncginnity, 7, Maia Clark, 8, Esa Siddiqui, and twins Sheween and Dereen Rashid, 7
It’s history in the park for pupils
ROMAN athletes racing chariots, colourful butterflies emerging from chrysalises and exploded atomic bombs hanging ragged and spent from trees in Waterlow’s Park.
Hundreds of children from Christopher Hatton, Gospel Oak, Brookfield, New End and St Joseph’s primary and infants schools dressed the park’s birches, alders and oak trees for the festive season.
Inspired by their curriculum studies, Brookfield Year 6 pupils made model Second World War bombs instead of snowflakes.
Gospel Oak Year 3 students, who are studying Roman history, made soldier, athlete and goddess mobiles, while New End’s Year 5 pupils hung insects, butterflies and bees on their tree.
It was the ninth annual tree-dressing event at Waterlow Park, which is maintained by patrons of the historic 400-year-old Lauderdale House near Swain’s Lane.
Nine-year-old Ana Sanz, who lives on Courthope Road and goes to New End School in Streatly Place, Hampstead, said: “We were taught how to build the structure out of wood and then we stuck masking tape to the edges to make it strong and covered it in PVA glue and then let it dry for two days.”
The decorations will be taken down on Monday, December 10.