Banffshire Pupils Experience North East’s War Past At Duff House
28/01/2010
Pupils in Banffshire came face to face with the realities of WWII in the North East at Duff House this week.
The building, which is one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in the area, played a key part in the region’s experiences of the war, being used to house Allied troops as well as German prisoners of war, and being subject to a bombing raid in 1940.
The pupils, from Banff, Whitehalls and Boddam Primary Schools and a home schooling unit in Peterhead, were greeted outside Duff House by an activity leader dressed as a WWII Highland division officer before being tasked with exploring the exterior of the building to find evidence of the bombing. A number of role plays and interactive activities were also conducted looking at subjects including the experience of prisoners at war, and the strategic importance of Scotland to the German army.
The event was part of a new schools activity looking at the experience of Duff House during World War Two being piloted by Historic Scotland in collaboration with Aberdeenshire Council. The activity has been inspired by fascinating information recently uncovered on the history of the house during this period through local history project ‘What’s the war got to do with us?’ part of a larger nationwide initiative ‘Their Past Your Future Scotland’.
In Banffshire, members of the local community have been sharing their personal recollections of the war in a bid to bring young people and older residents together to capture oral histories of military conflict. The project will accumulate in an online and physical exhibition at Duff House in the New Year. . For more information about the project and to view a sample exhibition, visit www.RememberingScotlandAtWar.org.uk
Fiona Davidson, Education Officer for Historic Scotland said: “Duff House is one of the most beautiful buildings in the area, famed for its grand rooms and magnificent paintings but it also has another history that people may not be so aware of.
“For many children World War II is something that they associate with foreign lands overseas. But for their grandparents and great grandparents the war was something that came into their lives in a very personal manner.
“We want to encourage young people to develop an interest in and passion for local as well as international history. Through events such as these we want to stimulate that interest as well as developing their critical skills in interpreting evidence and stimulating debate.”
Rachel Kennedy, General Manager of Duff House added: “Encouraging our local children to think about the past in new ways is so important if we are to preserve memories for future generations.
“By investigating the damage that is still visible today from the bombing raid and providing children with an outlet to experience what Duff House was like we hope to achieve that. And if they can be encouraged to speak to older members of their community about their personal experiences of war – even better!
“This activity is one of several exiting projects being held in the House, culminating in our exhibition early next year. I’d encourage as many people as possible to come to visit and see first hand the many treasures that we have from that period.”
For more information on Historic Scotland’s schools programmes please contact Education Unit Administration Team on 0131 668 8736 or visit the website http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/learning.htm. Duff House is open to the public from 1st November to 31st March Thursday to Saturday (11am to 4pm).
As reported in:
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The Press and Journal (28.1.10)
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The Press and Journal (30.1.10)
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Banffshire Journal (2.2.10)
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Ellon Advertiser (5.2.10)
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Banffshire Journal (9.2.10)
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Aberdeen Evening Express (15.3.10)
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The Press and Journal (26.3.10)