Summary: In January 2001, Bexley schoolchildren re-enacted the evacuation of thousands of city schoolchildren in 1941 during World War II. The Living History Lesson was an initiative of Bexley Council in partnership with The Evacuation Reunion Association and Bexley Heritage Trust, with financial support from the Single Regeneration Budget. In preparation for the day the children dressed in period costumes, made gas masks and cooked wartime recipes. On the day of the reconstruction, the children experienced an air raid, a gas mask drill, and the billeting system and spoke to real evacuees to learn from their experiences.