Cuddly toys, a DVD player and a mobile phone were just a few of the gifts rolling off the conveyor belt at a local Gateshead school, as Bruce Forsyth hosted a very different version of The Generation Game.
Cuddly toys, a DVD player and a mobile phone were just a few of the gifts rolling off the human conveyor belt at a local Gateshead school, as showbiz legend Bruce Forsyth took a break from Strictly Come Dancing to host a very different version of The Generation Game.
Gateshead Deputy Headteacher David Laidlaw welcomed three generations of locals with the hallowed catchphrase, ‘Nice to see you, too see you nice’, as he aped presenter Brucie at Windmill Hills Community Primary. The family fun was part of project run by Gateshead Council and Bridging Newcastle Gateshead in conjunction with the school, working with local children to research the history of their area, Bensham.
The children, aged 9-11 visited Beamish as part of their research, as well as talking to local residents at Bensham Court about how life had changed since they were youngsters. The children also took pictures and wrote about the local area as they see it now, in order to document it for future generations.
Thursday’s event gave the children an opportunity to present their findings back to older generations, and ended with families enjoying Generation Game-style fun, with prizes and gifts whizzing past on a human conveyor belt at the end of the afternoon.
Headteacher Sue Foggon said: “As well as helping the children understand more about the history and heritage of Bensham, the project has been lots of fun for everyone involved. Being able to talk to older people about what the area used to be like, and the kinds of things they got up to when they were young has taught the children a great deal about the community’s past. It has also helped to ‘Bridge the Generation Gap’ between the younger and older members of the community.”
The children were supported in their work by Susan Rocks from the Council’s Neighbourhood Management team. She said: “The Bensham area will be experiencing a lot of change over the next 10 years as regeneration projects funded through Bridging NewcastleGateshead start to take effect. As future householders, it is important that young people understand their local history and heritage as things change.
“The project was designed as a fun way to find out about the past, understand the present, and explore the future, as well as introduce children to generations of people in the area. I think everyone involved - young and old - has learned something about each other and about Bensham. Now it has been documented for future generations of young people to learn from.”
Paul Cairns of Bridging Newcastle Gateshead said: “It is clear from the stories that we have heard that there are lots of things about the way children play today that have remained unchanged. A big part of the generation game is to enable a greater understanding of the issues facing neighbourhood play and the strengthening of respect among different groups within our community.”