Students and staff from Shrewsbury Sixth Form College took a trip back in time recently to honour Shropshire war heroes who lost their lives on the continent.
The group of 13 from the College travelled to Le Cateau, a town in northern France, to learn more about those from across the county who died whilst in battle, as well as to visit the memorial of Shropshire soldier and war poet Wilfred Owen.
During their five-day trip, the students also had the opportunity to visit the Wilfred Owen Museum and his grave, go to see an exhibition dedicated to the world-famous French artist, Henri Matisse, meet the Mayor of Le Cateau, and share experiences with fellow college-goers from Lycée Desmoulins School in the French town, which is situated close to the Belgian border.
Martin Ward, Principal of Shrewsbury Sixth Form College, said: “Shrewsbury has some really strong links with France, not only the fact that leading war poet Wilfred Owen fought and died there, but also former Priory School pupil George Henry Bennett who lost his life in the battle of Villers-Bretonneux, close to Le Cateau. Poignantly, students were also part of the commemorative service in Minsterley, George Henry Bennett's family home.
“This trip was a fantastic opportunity for our students to not only visit places of historical interest with connections to their home town, but to also remember past generations. We very much look forward to building and maintaining our relationship over on the continent and to providing our students with many more opportunities to learn about local and European history and the importance of striving for peace.”
Shrewsbury Sixth Form College was established in 1981 and offers an extensive range of full-time courses for over 1,500 students aged 16-19 years. The College aims to provide teaching and learning of the highest quality and provides a stimulating, supportive and encouraging environment ensuring it creates the ideal bridge between school and work or higher education.
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