Pupils from Kirkcolm Primary organised the wartime tea party event to help them discover the history of the RAF base on Loch Ryan.
The youngsters also visited a new art exhibit commemorating the area’s days as a WWII flying boat base and met artist and designer Kenny Mackay.
He has worked with the Solway Firth Partnership and arts organisation Wide Open on the initiative, which has been funded by Dumfries and Galloway Council.
A sound installation has been created, based in a wartime observation point, where visitors are plunged back in time by the sounds of aircraft, a U-Boat and a submarine sonar.
A large board has been built onto the front of the small brick structure where people can sit and play the classic Battleships and Cruisers war game, and concrete seating areas have also been created, reminiscent of gun emplacements
Jan Hogarth, director of Wide Open, said: “It was lovely for the children to discover so much about the history of the area where they live – and to have a walk to the observation post with Kenny.
“The tea party at the school was lots of fun, with people there in uniforms and civilian clothes from the 1940s, so the pupils could get a real taste of what life was like back then.
“We hope that local residents and visitors alike will enjoy the sound installation and the rest of the project for many years to come.”
Photos by Graham Edwards
