What a rehearsal!

On Wednesday 28th March, we did our first run-through of the play again since performing it on December 6th 2017. In the hall were not only Year 5, and Year 6, but also parents who will sing in the performance this time round, AND ex pupils from West Park Primary from 50 years ago! There were some familiar faces...Angela Spence and Mike Edwards, but also Riley Daley, Angela Verley, Pat Williams and Carmetta Davis, who feature in the archive film and photographs in our performance. Some of 'the Class of '68', as they have become known, have agreed to be a part of our performance on April 21st, and so we rehearsed them into the section of the performance about their time at the school for the first time. The atmosphere in the hall was electrifying as past and current pupils performed to, and alongside, each other.

West Park pupils 50 years apart from each other shared their school hall with ITV Central's Balvinder Sidhu and cameraman and a photographer from The Observer newspaper. Yes - the media are once again are interested in broadcasting the school's story....this time, we very much hope, focusing on the integration of our diverse school community in ways which contrast starkly to the reports of 50 years ago.

ITV Central said they will let us know when their item will be shown in the week running up to 20th April - the date Enoch Powell made his 'Rivers of Blood' speech in April 1968, so watch this space.

If we're lucky, West Park Welcomes the World! might get a mention in The Observer newspaper on Sunday 15th April in a longer article about the legacy of Enoch Powell.

The April 21st performance is now SOLD OUT! If people know they won't need their tickets, it's important that they reply to the email they received asking that they return them for others to use. There should be space to see the dress rehearsal on Friday 20th April at 1:45pm, which Year 6 children from neighbouring St Andrews primary school will also attend!

So our important story continues to attract much interest...Thank you, West Park pupils past and present, and participating parents, for all your positivity and commitment in contributing towards what promises to be an extraordinary community event!