We have had a magnificent reply to our challenge to tell the story of Box families over the last century. Because it's scarecrow season we start with the merger of the Callaway and Abrahams families.

The Callaways were coal merchants and domestic coachmen and they married into the Abrahams family of butchers, slaughtermen and owners of various local shops. They were living next door to the Rising Sun pub on Box Hill when it blew up in a gas explosion.

Thank you, Eric and Sandra, for the scarecrow fun and the fascinating history of your family.

I have just spent a very rewarding 30 minutes reading Box Primary School  children’s  Research Project on the First World War. Despite my advancing years and a lifetime in the defence environment I was able to learn something new. They drew out, illustrated and expressed beautifully what to me were the three significant factors arising from the conflict, the advancement of military technology, that women were a valuable resource beyond being homemakers and that everyone was affected and involved not just the soldiers in the trenches. The photographs enhance and compliment the text and reflect the skills of the children in model making; very well done.

In reading the work it occurred to me that these children will witness the centenary of the Second World War, I do hope that they will encourage their children to research that war as thoroughly as they did the First.

Finally, to the children participating many,  many congratulations for a job well done, thank you. Of course I mustn’t forget that work of this quality would not happen without the encouragement and guidance of teaching staff in particular head teacher, Jo French, and history co-ordinator, Helen Murphy. They should be well pleased with the fruits of the Box children’s  efforts.
Dave Ibberson OBE

Thank you, Box School and Box People and Places. Very proud and happy to see my son's work, the triplane, pre bomber attack, on the website. We have been looking for it and the other students' work.

Calling all parents of Sycamore Class 2014.
The children's research projects on World War 1 are now on-line for everyone to view at:
http://www.boxpeopleandplaces.co.uk/school-ww1-projects.html

Please pass this link round as we are so proud of the fabulous work the children have done to commemorate the centenary of the war.