The bell rings. Coats off. Time to travel back to a Yorkshire classroom in the 1960s.
Welcome to Class 4T, where Mrs Thewlitt is waiting – along with Tony (the sleepy one), Mary (always hungry), Veronica (chief mischief-maker) and Eric (who usually knows the answer… until he doesn’t). There’s a desk saved just for you.
It’s the first term back, and today’s lesson centres on one of the great landmarks of the Dales: the Ribblehead Viaduct. Built 150 years ago by navvies working in brutal conditions, it becomes the starting point for a lively exploration of history, engineering and everyday life.
What is a navvy? How do stone arches hold together? And what happens when curiosity, poetry and song take over a classroom? As Mrs Thewlitt leads her pupils through this new topic, learning spills beyond textbooks and into stories, rhythms and imagination.
Along the way, expect gentle chaos: Eric finds himself in trouble with the dinner ladies, Tony struggles to stay awake, and Mary discovers some very unexpected classroom snacks. No two lessons are ever quite the same.
Each episode offers a different class, a new angle, and another chance to listen in.
Listen to Class 4T with Mrs Thewlitt:
This was made possible thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Class 4T with Mrs Thewlitt was commissioned for Yorkshire Festival of Story and was created by Sue Dyde.
