Thirty-three stars, no, that’s wrong, thirty-three young stars (ranging from seven to eighteen) and thirty-three slightly older stars - their teachers. Yes, this was the Young Historian Scheme’s History Day 1995, at the Tower of London, and we were there to honour good work in history.
People came from all over the UK, and we saw interesting work on all aspects of history, from the Romans to today. It was good to see work on Biafra, on Northern Ireland, where children were looking at real hard issues. It was good to see a hard-hitting evaluation of a museum visit. It was splendid to see an eight-year-old showing work that could shame some children twice his age.
But this was not a day about shame, it was about success. The children and their teachers were praised by a plethora of professors, and other people who had given unstintingly to make the day work. Above all, our presenters, Prunella Scales and Timothy West, simply made the day. With grace and charm they made everyone feel totally at home, and we all felt we had been at an event. Let us hope we can find the funding to continue such a valuable experience.
The scheme this year, its seventh, is supported by the Nuffield Foundation, the Mercer’s Company and the Historical Association. There were prizes from the Royal Historical Society, English Heritage, Past Times, Victoria County History and the Young National Trust Theatre.
