Wingate Primary Pupils Prepare for German Exchange Adventure
Five pupils from Wingate Primary School are getting ready for an exciting international visit later this month as part of the UK-German Connection Scheme, building friendships and sharing local heritage with partner students in Wuppertal, near Düsseldorf, Germany.
The group will travel to meet pupils from their partner school after months of exchanging ideas, stories and learning about one another’s communities. The visit is designed to help young people develop confidence, cultural understanding and lasting international connections.
As part of the project, the Wingate pupils have been proudly introducing their German friends to one of County Durham’s most famous local legend The Lambton Worm.
Through storytelling, discussion and creative activities, the children are exploring the tale of the fearsome worm and the bravery of John Lambton. They will be sharing what the legend means to local people and how stories help communities connect with their history and identity.
In return, the German students have introduced the pupils from Wingate to one of Wuppertal’s most unusual and famous local stories, the legend of Tuffi the elephant and the city’s historic suspended monorail.
Wuppertal is home to the Schwebebahn, a world-famous suspended railway that has been carrying passengers for well over a century. In 1950, a young circus elephant called Tuffi took a ride on the monorail as part of a publicity event. According to local accounts, the attention and flashing cameras frightened her, and she crashed through the side of the carriage, falling into the River Wupper below. Amazingly, Tuffi survived and the story has become part of local folklore and city identity ever since.
Although one story tells of a mythical creature and the other tells of a real elephant’s extraordinary adventure, both have become treasured local legends that have been passed down through generations.
Teachers at Wingate Primary say the exchange has already and will certainly continue to help pupils grow in confidence, develop language skills and discover that communities across Europe often connect through shared stories and traditions.
As departure day approaches, excitement is building across the school. The visit promises to be an unforgettable opportunity for the five young ambassadors to represent Wingate, share the story of the Lambton Worm and return home with new friendships, and perhaps a few new fantastic tales to tell.
