27 Year 7, 8 and 9 students have recently returned from our annual Battlefields Tour of Belguim.
During the tour, students visited the war graves of soldiers from Bedlington who served in the First World War. They placed poppy crosses on these soldiers' graves as well the graves of unknown soldiers from local regiments.
Students also visited the Lochnagar Crater where Sergeant Nugent, a Bedlington man and Northumberland Fusilier, is honoured. His body was only discovered there in 1998 and now has been laid to rest in Ovillers Cemetry.
A highlight of the tour was when students: Kate Elliott (Year 7) and Kayti Brown (Year 8), accompanied by staff member Andy Allman, took part in the Menin Gate 'Last Post' ceremony. They laid poppy wreaths on behalf of the Bedlington Academy students and the Bedlington community alongside dignitories from around the world.
The trip was made possible thank to a generous donation from Northumberland County Council which will also be used to create a legacy project in rememberance of 100 years since the First World War.