SCHOOL students held a special seasonal event to mark the centenary of the 1914 Christmas Truce.

One hundred years after German and British soldiers crossed No Man’s Land on the Western Front to exchange Christmas gifts and greetings in the midst of the First World War, students at Durham Free School commemorated the event.

The ‘Their War, Our History’ project aims to teach children the importance of remembering the events of the First and Second World Wars through educational field trips, community events and history talks.

School caretaker John Ferguson, whose grandfather served in France during the war and lost a finger to shrapnel, brought First World War medals and commemorative coins for students and guests to look at, while students displayed commemorative posters and digital presentations they had prepared.

They also performed the songs famously sung by soldiers on the day of the truce: Silent Night and Auld Lang Syne.

Ann Ferguson, centre manager at Gilesgate Youth and Community Association, praised Durham Free School students for their enthusiasm and dedication to the project.

She said: “We looked at all aspects of World War One and asked the children what they wanted to focus on. They were the ones who decided that the Christmas Day Truce would be perfect for the time of year. I can’t tell you how much work they have put into this event.”

The project has been in motion for more than three months, and has been embraced by schools across the Durham area.

Student Danielle Goodman, 12, who contributed to the success of the Christmas Truce event, said: “We worked really hard on the event and loads of people enjoyed it. We would like to do it again.”