The Real Alli Pasha

Although the real Alli Pasha sadly passed away quite a few years ago, after living a long life with his best pal Henry Friston, Peter Daniels from Westminster Archive was able to bring in another tortoise for the children to meet. Later in his life Alli Pasha became a celebrity, but it didn't really seem to bother him. He just spent his days hanging out in Henry's garden eating dandelions. 

This tortoise's name is Harry, he is only a few years old so he still will get a lot bigger, just like Alli Pasha! The children where so excited to see Harry that Peter had to remind them to be quiet because all the noise could hurt his small tortoise head!

The real Alli Pasha with Henry home in England

The Chelsea Pensioners

Another special guest was in store for the children; a Chelsea Penioner! Chelsea Pensioners are former members of the British Army. To be considered a member, they must be over the age of 65.

Until 2009, which was very recent, only men could become Cheslea Pensioners, but now the honor is open to both women and men.

This is Dave Thomson who took time out of his schedule to give a presentation.












Mr. Thomson described when the almost one million poppies were planted at the Tower of London last year, he said that they have only recently gotten the grass looking nice again!








The Chelsea Pensioners also have a close relationship with the Chelsea Football club and when they won the league the Pensioners formed a guard of honor.

Harvey from Soho

Harvey, a long time resident of Soho in central London, enjoyed visiting the students and telling of his families' involvement in WWI and WWII.

Harvey's father had been a soldier in WWI and he escaped death a startling number of five times!

When WWII began Harvey was living in Soho with his family. At this time Harvey's mother had the opportunity to send her children to the countryside so that they would be safe from the bombs that would descend onto London during the Blitz. But Harvey's mum refused to send her children away. She had the attitutde that if they were going to die they would all die together.

Now Harvey has amazing stories from living during WWII that he happily shares with school children.

Michael Foreman

After the students had read The Amazing Tale of Alli  Pasha, they got a great opportunity to actually meet the author! Mr. Foreman went through the story with the students, explaining the historical events and the research that he had to do to write his story.

Mr. Foreman painting 

Some of the students really got into the spirit of the presentation and wore some of the hats that soldiers would have worn in WWI!

  After going through his story with the students, Mr. Foreman took the time to paint them a new, beautiful, water color scene of Alli Pasha. The students can then use the painting to create their own story of Alli Pasha, using another activity that they will have been working on in class.

Bombed Last Night Song

Bombed Last Night

Bombed last night, and bombed the night before.
Gonna to get bombed tonight if we never get bombed anymore.
When we're bombed, we're scared as we can be.
Can't stop the bombing men from Higher Germany.

They're over us, they're over us.
One shell hole for just the four of us.
Thank your lucky stars there are no more of us.
  Causeone of us can fill it all alone.

 

Horseferry Road

c. 1915

In 1915, Horseferry Road in Westminster, London became a home away from home for the ANZACs. When it came time for British soldiers to go home after Gallipoli, it was easy for them to reach home. But for the ANZACs, it was not as simple. 

c. 2015

That is why Horseferry Road became known as such a historically Australian place, because it was designed as a place for the ANZACs to not feel so far from home, and create a community for themselves. It was a place that was lined with shops that were familiar to the Australian soldiers, and it was filled with people wearing slouch caps and speaking with familiar accents.

Minnie Rattigan and the ANZAC Buffet

Minnie Rattigan was born in 1970 at Barooga Station near Tocumwal. She married her second husband in 1912 who eventually became a Captain in the First World War. In late 1915 while her husband was off fighting in the war, Mrs. Rattigan became the co-founder of a place called the ANZAC Buffet; a place for Australian servicemen to find a home a way from home. The Buffet offered free meals, entertainment and the opportunity to forget about the horrors of war, even for just a minute. The Buffet was open seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.. The Buffet was such a success that they fed and entertained about 1000 men per day. Mrs. Rattigan’s story is so important because it illustrates what a vital role the women had during World War I.