THE polling stations open at 7am tomorrow and to mark the event we are taking a look behind the scenes on election days of the past and how schools have joined in the fun.

St James’ School, Millom, held its own election in 1992 to give pupils a taste of the real thing about to take place in the Copeland constituency.

The Mail,on March 28, noted: “Forget Jack Cunningham and Philip Davies – the man capturing the floating voters is Mr Basil Biscuit-Tin Bloomers Nintendo Sega Bananas.

“Basil, a fox-like hand puppet, is the Monster Raving Loony candidate in mock elections.”

Pupil Dean Steele said: “He talks more sense than all the other parties put together.”

Basil’s crowd-pleasing policies included no more maths, school on only two days each week and no shouting by teachers.

Basil also wanted peanuts to replace the pound as the British currency.

Headteacher Maureen Hughes said: “The whole school is buzzing with the election.

General elections can provide the publicity for groups trying to get their message through to the competing candidates.

In May 2001 Barrow and Furness Pensioners association members staged a protest at Ramsden Square. President Ken Arts joined fellow protestors Syd Eager, Barbara Eager and Edna Conway in calling for higher pensions and better health care for the elderly.

Three-year-old Ben Turnough, from Walney, was far too young to vote in 2001 but gave his own opinion by biting big chunks out of the heads of the rival party leaders.

He tried out William Hague’s chocolate head, and in interests of political fairness also chomped on Tony Blair and Charles Kennedy.

A big supply of the special election chocolate lollies had gone on sale at the Thorntons chocolates section of the Coombs flower shop in Barrow.

On June 7 in 2001 youngsters at Haverigg held their own election as their school was not being used as a polling station. The leaders of the three main parties were Paul Smith, from the Magnum Party; Jade Moore,from the Persuasive Party and Danielle Sim from the WIKID Party.