This afternoon, Year 2 set off on a local history walk to explore the events that happened when Gandhi came to visit Darwen in 1931. We visited the lodges that were home to mill workers and this was also the place that Gandhi stayed during his visit. The children learnt why Gandhi was invited to Darwen by Percy Davies the owner of Greenfield Mill. We walked past where this mill used to be and there is now a stone in place to show where it once stood (see photo). Mill workers wanted to speak to Gandhi to discuss his campaign for Indian independence from the British Empire which resulted in the cotton boycotts. One Darwen lady said ‘your boycott is putting us into poverty’. I’ll let the children tell you how Gandhi responded. The walk was really enjoyable in the sunshine, we ended with a story in Jacks Key. The story explores the remarkable life of Gandhi and the interesting events of his life.
