My daughter recently participated in a school trip to the Stockport air raid shelter, where students immersed themselves in the history of World War II. The experience involved dressing in period clothing, using cardboard gas mask boxes as lunch containers, and wearing imaginary name tags. Wanting to honor my mother, a war evacuee, we chose her name for our daughter's tag.

To our surprise, the organizers removed our daughter's tag, citing it wasn't an English name. The name on my daughter's tag originated from a different cultural background, that of one of the British Allies in WWII. This incident left us feeling disheartened, as we believe that a person's name, regardless of its origin, holds significant personal value.

We hope that future events will recognize the importance of embracing cultural diversity. The Stockport air raid shelter offered a fascinating and educational glimpse into the past, but this incident underscores the necessity for greater cultural sensitivity during such activities. We encourage organizers to consider the richness of diverse histories when facilitating these historical experiences for young learners.