Soap star visits school
A SOAP star and an author have visited a Suffolk school today.Former Ipswich High School pupils June Brown, who plays Dot Cotton in EastEnders, and her friend Eva Nussbaum, visited students at the Woolverstone school.
A SOAP star and an author have visited a Suffolk school today.
Former Ipswich High School pupils June Brown, who plays Dot Cotton in EastEnders, and her friend Eva Nussbaum, visited students at the Woolverstone school.
They were both students at Ipswich High School between 1939 and 1942 when it was based in Westerfield Road, Ipswich, and they reunited for a trip to their old school, albeit in a different location, and the opportunity to plant a commemorative tree.
Suffolk girl June had won her place at the independent school thanks to a scholarship and Eva, who was born in Berlin, studied there after she came to Ipswich as part of the Kindertransport programme which took children from the occupied territories during the Second World War and placed them with British families.
Eva, who flew from America for the visit, wrote a book called A Voice from the Holocaust after leaving the school and she was due to talk about her experiences to present day pupils today.
During their visit to the school both pupils, along with another old friend, Mary Hodgson, told tales of the war when they were forced to move their lessons into air raid shelters every time the sirens went off.
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The commemorative tree was due to be planted in Eva's memory and to honour her family, who were all killed in Germany.
Elaine Purves, headteacher at the school, said: “It is a wonderful connection with life at Ipswich High in the 30s and with the Kindertransport mobilisation.
“It is an honour for the school to host this special occasion and we hope that the day will be all that she wishes for.”
Do you remember June Brown or Eva Nussbaum from your schooldays? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.
June Brown
She was born on February 16, 1927, in Needham Market and won a scholarship to Ipswich High School.
She served in the Wrens during the Second World War before training as an actress at the Old Vic Drama School.
She joined the cast of EastEnders in 1985, playing the character Dot Cotton, and received a Lifetime achievement award at the 2005 UK Soap Awards.
SOURCE: EastEnders
