Audio from Chalke Valley History Festival for Schools 2018 with Ben Walsh.

This year we played host to thousands of Year 6, 10 and 12 pupils from all over the country for 3 days of 'hands on' history! Blending talks by eminent historians with interactive living history and demonstrations, this is a crucial part of what we do at the festival and we are thrilled to have received such a positive response again this year. Here's a short video with Richard Salmon from Canford School, who sponsored our Year 6 day, talking about why he thinks it is so special. The Year 10 and 12 days are generously sponsored by Rathbone Brothers Plc.

Co-founder of Chalke Valley History Festival, James Heneage, looks ahead to the action-packed weekend at this year's festival, picking out some of the most eye-catching highlights from the extensive programme of speakers and Living History displays.

They are with us from the moment we are born (perhaps before?) and stay with us until the day we die. They define us. Most people would agree that without them we are not human. I am referring to feelings

What is going on? It seems that for at least a generation all significant attempts by government and educationalists to nurture a love of reading amongst younger people appear to have failed.