World War One Commemorations News
August
Hoddlesden event
Saturday August 30
From 10am onwards at the Carus Centre, with a service at the Cenotaph at 11am, and 12-4pm there will be displays, games, memorabilia, and much more.
All money raised will go towards the purchase of a Defibrillator which will be sited within Queens Square. All other proceeds will go to charity.
Blackburn Museum
August onwards
Blackburn Museum will remember every Borough soldier killed in World War One. The names of 4 different men will be displayed each day the museum is open, for the duration of the anniversary.
September
Curriculum activities to take place in secondary schools, including rationing portions compared with today, money comparison and what £100 would have bought you 100 years ago, and researching local heroes among many more.
October
‘Make a Poppy’ bookmark at Livesey and Blackburn Libraries
Family craft workshops on Wednesday 29th October at Livesey Library (10.30 – 11.30 am) and Blackburn Central Library (2.00 – 3.00 pm). Entry is by free ticket available from the relevant library
‘The War Game’ by Terry Deary
Retelling of the Christmas Truce, dramatised and performed by professional story teller John Kirk. The performances will be held in the Hornby Theatre at Blackburn Central Library on Thursday 30th October from 11.00 am – 12.00 noon, and 2.00 – 3.00 pm. Tickets cost 50p for children and £1 for accompanying adults. This event is suitable for children age 7 and over.
Turton Tower
Anniversary of Lancashire Fusiliers leaving for Gallipoli. The owner of the tower Henry Lees Knowles was an Honorary Colonel of the regiment and Bury Territorials also used the grounds for training.
November
St James Church, Stopes Brow
10-16 November, Commemorations event at St James Church. If you have any family stories based around the war years and if you would like to share your stories or for more information, please contact Ruth Bell on 01254 262309
Events through the week include a showing of the film War Horse at 7.30pm Monday November 10, A concert with community choir called Days Gone By at 7pm Wednesday November 12, and exhibition open all day on Thursday November 13, plus much more throughout the week.
December
Talk – ‘All over by Christmas’ at Blackburn Library
Wednesday 3 December 2pm
Steve Williams will give a talk called ‘All over by Christmas’, which will cover life in the trenches on the Western Front and Gallipoli at Christmas time, including the famous football match during the Christmas truce in 1914.
Admission £1 and tickets will be available from Blackburn Library
2015
January
Blackburn Museum will run three two-month community projects a year, with each project to focus on the anniversary events. The museum will work with a range of groups, including youth, art and historical organisations. – for 2015 these are likely to be Ypres, Aubers Ridge and Suez Canal Defence
Environmental Services will carry out planting schemes to reflect the commemorations, for example red, white and blue
2016
Blackburn Museum will run three two-month community projects a year, with each project to focus on the anniversary events. The museum will work with a range of groups, including youth, art and historical organisations. – For 2016 these are likely to be Somme/PALS, Gallipoli, Sinai.
2017
Blackburn Museum will run three two-month community projects a year, with each project to focus on the anniversary events. The museum will work with a range of groups, including youth, art and historical organisations. – For 2017 these are likely to be America’s role, Ypres, Passchendale, Col. Dixon’s papers
2018
April
Blackburn Museum will focus on Lieutenant-Commander Percy Thompson Dean VC. He won his Victoria Cross for efforts in Belgium on the 22nd and 23rd April. This is a collaborative work alongside QEGS
October
Darwen Library and Blackburn Museum will focus on the works and life of James Morton, a Darwen artist killed in the last days of the war.