IT TOOK months of planning but children from Bidbury Junior School finally saw their time capsule buried beneath a majestic oak tree to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year.
Pupils at the Bedhampton school teamed up with the Friends of Bidbury Mead group to make a time capsule full of information about school life and the year 2012.
The Friends bought a large semi-mature oak to plant in the park and invited Vice Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, Nigel Atkinson, to join the Mayor of Havant, Gerald Shimbart, at the ceremony on Tuesday.
Ron Tate organised the event and asked the local schoolchildren if they could help.
Every class at the school was involved in putting together ideas about what they think would be of interest to anyone finding the capsule in the future.
Inside the capsule they put a school uniform, writings about what they eat for school dinners, and even a CD to help finders learn the times table.
Year 6 pupil Izabella Darmanin, 10, said: ‘I took some photos of household objects like fridges, a washing machine and light switches, because you never know how things are going to change for the people of the future.’
Earlier this month the school held an exhibition to give the public a chance to have a look at the items before they went in the capsule.
Portsmouth Water provided the waterproof time capsule while staff from Havant Borough Council did the heavy work of planting the tree.
English oak was chosen as a symbol of stoicism and because the trees last hundreds of years.
Mr Atkinson said: ‘I’m delighted to accept this on behalf of Her Majesty, in this most spectacular year.
‘It’s terrific to see not only the tree but the time capsule.
‘I saw a time capsule being opened two years ago. It was in the ground for 150 years.
‘Maybe when this is dug up we might have Queen Elizabeth the fourth, fifth or sixth on the throne.’
Jenny Wride, chairwoman of the Friends, said: ‘People have been very kind and generous to enable us to do this.
‘I have pestered everyone and if anything needed to be done they stood up and helped.’
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