The People’s Collection to appear in venues across Worcestershire

The People’s Collection will visit seven venues across Worcestershire from 21 May culminating in an exhibition at The Hive to coincide with Armistice in November. The project has been four years in the making with the team collecting letters, photographers and objects from across the County.

The Worcestershire World War One Hundred programme received the largest Heritage Lottery Fund grant for a World War One commemoration outside London, to tell the stories of Worcestershire people, their involvement with and personal legacy from the war. Throughout this time people from across the county have been invited to share their family stories about the contribution the county and its people made to the First World War and it is these contributions which will be on show in The People’s Collection.

The touring exhibition will visit Bromsgrove Library, Redditch Library, Malvern Library, Bewdley Museum, Number 8 and The Almonry Heritage Centre before coming together at The Hive in Worcester. Each exhibition will feature stories relevant to that specific location as well as information relevant to the County as a whole.

In Bromsgrove find out what life was like for VAD (Voluntary Aid Detachment) Nurses through the letters of Rachel Lyttelton. The letters she wrote through the war years give a unique glimpse of life during the war.

Visitors to the Redditch exhibition will learn about the Royal Enfield motorcycles used at the front and the military tribunals will reveal the lives of conscripted men.

In Malvern learn about the trench shovel belonging to the Purser Family of Welland and the life of local naval officer G H Lane.

In Bewdley, with help from the Bewdley Historical Society, learn about people from the Wyre Forest and uncover the mystery of a WW1 army issue spoon found in a back garden in Kidderminster, and the three members of the Tarrant family who served in the army, navy and munitions.

At the Number 8 Gallery in Pershore learn about the Sladden family of Badsey and the Belgian refugees who found sanctuary in the area.

The Almonry Heritage Centre features Voluntary Aid Detachments hospitals including Evesham Abbey and the role of German Prisoners of War in the surrounding farms.

Gillian Roberts, Worcestershire World War One Hundred Project Officer said: “The people of Worcestershire have been hugely generous in sharing their family stories with us and we have created a fantastic record of the impact World War One had on our County from what was happening at the Front to developments back home in medicine all with personal insight.

“The story is however not complete. We are still researching and would like to expand our collections to get the fullest understanding possible of the role of Worcestershire in the story of the Great War and we will continue to welcome contributions from people across the County.”

21 May – 21 June Bromsgrove Library

Parkside, Market Street, Bromsgrove, B61 8DA Telephone: 01905 822722

Email: BromsgroveLib@ worcestershire.gov.uk Website: www.worcestershire.gov.uk/directory_record/19/ bromsgrove_library

21 June – 20 July Redditch Library

15 Market Place, Redditch, B98 8AR Telephone: 01905 822722

Email: RedditchLib@ worcestershire.gov.uk

Website: www.worcestershire.gov.uk/ directory_record/28/ redditch_library

1 July – 30 August Malvern Library

Graham Road, Malvern, WR14 2HU Telephone: 01905822722

Email: MalvernLib@ worcestershire.gov.uk

Website: www.worcestershire.gov.uk/ directory_record/25/ malvern_library

21 July – 2 September Bewdley Museum

Load Street, Bewdley, DY12 2AE Telephone: 0845 6077819

Email: bewdley.museum@ wyreforestdc.gov.uk Website: www.bewdleymuseum.co.uk/

2 – 22 August 2018 Number 8 Pershore

High Street, Pershore, WR10 1BG Telephone: 01386 555488

Email: enquiries@number8.org Website: www.number8.org/

2 October – 14 November The Almonry Heritage Centre

Abbey Gate Evesham Worcestershire. WR11 4BQ Telephone: 01386 446944

Email: tic@almonry.ndo.co.uk Website: www.almonryevesham.org/

30 October – 12 November The Hive

Sawmill Walk, The Butts, Worcester, WR1 3PD Telephone: 01905 822866

Email: TheHiveLibrary@ worcestershire.gov.uk Website: www.thehiveworcester.org/