WARWICK Castle this week played host to Chernobyl teenagers all in remission from cancer.
They were welcomed by mayor Neale Murphy and David Brain, president of the Rotary Club of Warwick, which has arranged visits to the castle for youngsters – from the area around the scene of 1986’s nuclear disaster in the then Soviet Union – for more than 15 years.
Castle director Nick Blofeld introduced them to the Red Knight on horseback before giving them a tour which included seeing the skills of the bowman and falconers.
The Solihull branch of charity Chernobyl Children’s Project UK flew the teenagers over. All have had bone marrow transplants, and were accompanied by their doctor. They were not born when the nuclear reactor exploded 33 years ago, leaving
the area highly contaminated to this day.
The teenagers, who are spending a month in the UK, have also visited the seaside and other attractions. Following the recent acclaimed tv mini-series Chernobyl they were accompanied to Severn Valley Railway by a BBC TV crew, and on Sunday Sky News showed the children with their hosts in Solihull.
Donations can be made to Chernobyl Children’s Project UK. Visit www.chernobyl-children.org.uk for further details.
