LEARNING about the natural world comes easier when it seen up close – as pupils from a Furness school found out in 2003.

Youngsters from Vickerstown Primary School on Walney went for an annual camp on Piel Island, at the invitation of Rod and Karen Scarr from of the island's Ship Inn.

The Mail on Saturday, June 28, noted: “Island hopping pupils enjoyed lessons in the sun.

“The 31 youngsters from Year Six went on an educational camping trip to Piel Island.

“With a teacher and two assistants, they spent two nights under canvas on a grassed area next to the island’s Ship Inn.

“Landlady Karen Scarr is a trainee teacher and helps out at the school.”

Mrs Scarr said: “Vickerstown is the only Barrow school whose pupils come here to camp.

“As well as having fun they have been carrying out environmental and recycling projects, writing poetry and studying the wildlife.”

The article noted: “The youngsters also got involved in practical tasks such as helping Mrs Scarr’s husband Rod with his wildfowl sanctuary and collecting eggs for their breakfast from his chickens.

“The trip to the island first happened five years ago when Mrs Scarr’s daughter Louise attended the school.”

Mrs Scarr said: “We were educating her ourselves but she was going to the school one or two days a week.

“When the term ended the headteacher suggested a barbecue for the oldest pupils and we held it on the island.

“Since then the trip has grown into a two-day educational camping trip.”

Among our others pictures is the Vickerstown Primary School rugby team from July 2003

On the front row, from left, is Adam Thake, Jack Ellis and Jack Culbert.

The middle row shows Caitlin Biddulph, Mathew Holmes, Arron Mawhinney and Jack Rushton while the back row is Dainiel O'Neil, Lauren Waddington, Thomas Holmes, Logan Hill and Adam Twinney.