Take Shelter! Is a very special project local to Brighton that has a unique feature to it. Downs Junior School has a school air raid shelter from World War 2 that has been lovingly restored and has museum-style displays to indicate what life would have been like then. The tours on offer as part of the project completely run by volunteers, encourage you to step back in time as you explore what being in an air raid shelter would have been like back then, as well as inviting you to become part of an immersive media experience that shares stories of those who survived and more.
Take Shelter!The above picture shows a small indication of how the children had to cram into a small space and follow certain rules to stay safe. Obviously, the majority of us can only imagine what it was really like, but thanks to the Take Shelter tour team, we were able to immerse ourselves in the reality of the tight, crammed space, the noises we would have potentially heard above us, and get a more personalised insight from original pictures from the era, alongside videos along the way from those who survived.
Our guide for my group was Al, who claimed not to be a historian, but a local enthusiast whose daughter went to Downs Junior School and had the great opportunity to get involved with the school activities and events surrounding the shelter and its role in the war. His knowledge was extensive and was delivered in a way that was informative, entertaining and interactive as he challenged our knowledge about rationing, what VE Day meant, World War 2 in general and shared fun facts that were family-friendly, yet suitable enough for us adults to fully grasp the reality. Even when a part of the immersive media went wrong, Al’s focus was to make it part of the attitude that people would have recognised at the time. Keep calm, sort it out and carry on. I actually thought that the mistake was part of the experience until he mentioned it, so it goes to show you how something unintentional can add to the experience in a seamless, professional way. The whole tour was extremely eye-opening, enjoyable and we learned so much from Al’s knowledge. No words can ever describe how amazing it was, so this is one that is highly recommended to book to see for yourself.
The tours were complemented by an event above ground that was part of their monthly extravaganza, which gave a feel to other aspects of World War 2, such as dances of the period, fairground games that would have been popular and stalls dedicated to vintage hair styles, millinery, books and souvenirs.
The dances were led by the fabulous Libby, who showcased and taught popular dances such as the military shuffle, ballroom influenced styles and a 20s dance that continued into the era; The Charleston. Her style of teaching was thorough and enthusiastic as she taught us a simple sequence that was repeated until we were happy enough with it to enjoy it.
The band who provided the music throughout the day were the swing band Cat Club Swing, who entertained us with a mixture of traditional songs, as well as occasional modern variants on the Swing style with flair and charisma. They were one of the most well put together bands seen on the circuit and would highly recommend them if you love Swing, Jazz and anything of this particular ilk.
One of the major highlights of the experience was not just the bonus addition of Mrs Button’s Tearoom, but the school also had a museum which you could explore and discover more about the uniforms, refugees, toys and inventions, as an example. One part of this section was getting to meet Alan, one of the remaining Brighton survivors who used the shelter as a child. Speaking to him for me was an extremely humbling experience. He not only took the time to answer my questions about his time there, but very kindly showed me some of his collections on display as part of the museum he had collected over time. His particular pride and joy was the collection of face masks he had learned more about, apart from the more traditional ones you see in the archives. He shared extremely rare artifacts, such as one that was used to be mindful of head injuries. The original strap would have put too much pressure on the head, so a mask in the shape of a sack would have been used to place over the head, resting on the shoulders, with a special mouth and nose attachment that would have still given the same protection, yet give the head more space to breath. It was incredible to see his enthusiasm for the Take Shelter project, especially as part of what he does is go into schools and share his experiences and likewise extensive knowledge of all that happened. He is a lovely man too, so if you do go, look out for him and he will be happy to answer any questions you have.
This special project was humbling, insightful and eye-opening, with a great variety of opportunities on offer to explore and immerse yourself in history. This has to be the big highlight of the fringe for Tours and Local History, so don’t miss out!
Sascha Cooper
Step back in time to explore a unique part of Brighton’s wartime history with one of our air raid shelter tours.
During the war, every school would have had its own air raid shelter, now one of the only surviving examples in the UK is under the playground at Downs Junior School.
There is lots to do and see during your visit to Take Shelter: Tour the shelter with one of our knowledgeable guides (ticketed), play one of our vintage fair games, browse our World War II museum, chat with our veterans about their wartime experiences, soak up the vintage sounds and learn wartime dances on our dancefloor, or enjoy a cup of tea and bite to eat from Mrs Button’s Tea Room and take home a souvenir from the Take Shelter shop.