SCHOOLCHILDREN marched through Newport's streets to celebrate the anniversary of the Chartist march on the city.

Around 100 children from St Woolos Primary School and Malpas Court Primary School gathered at Newport Cathedral yesterday to walk the route the Chartists followed 169 years ago.

Led by stewards and the Mayor of Newport, Noel Trigg, the children and teachers walked down Stow Hill to Westgate Square dressed in 19th century costumes they put together themselves.

As they walked through the city centre, the children chanted the words to a Chartist poem, Song of the Low by Ernest Jones, and flew Welsh and Chartist flags.

Parents and members of the public joined them on their march and congregated outside the Westgate Hotel to hear them read the poem.

An apple was then given to every child who took part to symbolise the lack of nourishment in people’s diets at the time.

Pat Drewett, from Accent Newport Trust, said the march was about encouraging schools to celebrate the Chartist anniversary.

Mr Drewett said it had taken a year to organise the march and they had received a grant from the Heritage Lottery to arrange the whole Chartist anniversary weekend.

Jamie Jarvis from The Childrens’s Academy of Stage Training, had gone into the schools to teach them some drama techniques ready for their re-enactment of the poem.

The Mayor congratulated the children on what he said was a fantastic march.

He added: “They put their hearts and souls into it.”

He said the march, which went past the Chartist murals on the window and doors of the Westgate Hotel, is a very important part to the heritage of the city.

Hundreds of Chartists, whose campaign demands included for votes for all men and secret ballots, marched from the Valleys to Newport in 1839.

At least ten people were killed when soldiers opened fire on the crowd outside the Westgate Hotel and more died later.