School Reporters from the Excelsior Academy in Newcastle interviewed older people about life in the 1940s and 1950s.

The children learnt, to their surprise, that the lives of their guests weren't so different after all.

Leon, Ibrahim and Michael spent the afternoon at the Benwall Hall interviewing Elsie, Sonya and Elizabeth during one of BBC News School Report's intergenerational workshops.

The young journalists asked tough questions including: "What sort of pressures did you face back then?" and then followed up with questions about what it was like to live during World War II.

During the interviews, the children heard how, aside from the war, nothing much has changed. The older people heard how children today, as they did then, still face peer pressure to drink and smoke.

By the end of the day, School Reporters came to know their interviewees quite well and improved their interviewing skills. They also enjoyed some tea and biscuits, which is something anyone, regardless of age, can enjoy.

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