PUPILS at The Meridian School in Royston had their bayonets at the ready as they got a taste of life in the trenches. Corporal Richard Knight, from the Khaki on Campaign, visited Year 9 pupils to talk about the First World War. After discovering how troop

PUPILS at The Meridian School in Royston had their bayonets at the ready as they got a taste of life in the trenches.

Corporal Richard Knight, from the Khaki on Campaign, visited Year 9 pupils to talk about the First World War.

After discovering how troops adapted to the cold as the war went on, the students learned about how hand-grenades were developed, and how trench raids took place using medieval-style maces.

Tom Day, 13, said: "I found it really interesting to find out how easily soldiers blew themselves up with their own grenades".

The students have been studying the First World War this term and will use what they have learned to try to understand the background of some of the names on the Royston War Memorial.

n Meanwhile, students from Royston were taught valuable emergency life-support skills when they took part in a Heartstart course.

The British Heart Foundation organised the event, which took place at The Meridian School. More than 50 pupils from The Meridian, Roysia, and Greneway schools took part.

A spokesman for The Meridian School said: "In the two-hour session, students learned, among other things, how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and how to deal with serious bleeding."

About 70 per cent of all cardiac arrests happen outside of hospital, and because of this the British Heart Foundation is keen to get as many people as possible equipped with emergency life support skills.

The children received a certificate on successful completion of the course.