The majority of European children would return to their families during each summer holiday – many to Germany and others in the UK. But, during the Easter and Christmas term breaks, the Village was completely reliant on the generosity of UK families, right across the country, to take in a child for the holiday.

This was an uncertain enterprise as neither the famiies nor the children could know if they would be compatible with each other – and, at that time, the selection/allocation process was probably quite casual. This had little to do with whether or not the child would be grateful – but simply that going into a stranger’s house, and instantly fitting in with their way of life, could be an unsettling experience. However, there are some of the Pestalozzi children who, after more than fifty years, today continue to retain a close connection with the families who took the time and effort to accommodate them.