At least our school pupils know who Churchill was!

10:05am Wednesday 2nd April 2008

Comments (9)   Have your say »

A QUARTER of adults think he's a jowley insurance hound, one in three children think he was the first man on the moon and a Woodford Green 'celebrity' thinks he was America's first black President - but at least school children in Wanstead and Woodford know who their local hero is.

Woodford Green students get top marks for history after proving they know more about the former British Prime Minister and MP for Woodford, Winston Churchill, than the rest of the nation.

A recent survey of 1,400 youngsters found one in three confused Churchill with astronaut Neil Armstrong, despite the two being born in different centuries and on opposite sides of the Atlantic.

Adults fared no better with a poll commissioned by UKTV Gold revealing a quarter think Churchill's only claim to fame is car insurance, while former Big Brother contestant Danielle Lloyd embarrassed the borough on the BBC's Test the Nation quiz, when she claimed he was the first black president of the USA, citing the weathered statue in Woodford Green as proof of Churchill's ethnicity.

Redbridge schoolchildren saved the day, however, with everyone in our special poll getting top marks on their local and British history.

Finley Bliss, 13, of Woodbridge School said that although they did not learn about Churchill until year nine, everyone knew who he was.

He added: "If you don't take history for GCSE you won't get taught about him at school, but I know about him because my grandad was a sailor."

The rest of Finley's friends were also clued up on the former PM, by learning from family members or visiting museums. Luke Adshead, 12, said: "Anyone who doesn't know about Winston Churchill is a nut-head, as if you come from round here and don't know you obviously can't be bothered to learn."

When asked if more should be taught about the Second World War at school, 14-year-old George Green from Trinity Catholic High School said: "We did it a bit in primary school but they don't teach it until later years because you have to be a bit older to understand the Holocaust."

Also from Trinity High, friends Emma Wharrie and Michelle Joyce said they could not put their fingers on how they knew, but said it was just something naturally ingrained.

Michelle added: "I think people should know more if they come from Woodford, and Danielle Lloyd should be ashamed of herself.

"It's part of our local and national heritage."