Memories of the Great War Exhibition at Bailiffgate Museum, Alnwick
The Exhibition ran from 31 March to 17 May 2015 & occupied the whole of the first floor at Bailiffgate Museum, Alnwick.
The exhibition was a bit out of the ordinary in that we had memorabilia, with explanatory notes, in respect of two families – one had four ancestors to remember – but also exhibits relaying to two village communities. One, Hauxley, was a fishing, agricultural, & coal mining community at the time of the Great War, whilst the other, Howick, is best described as an estate village because at its core is the ancestral seat of the Earls Grey.
These village exhibits covered more than the fighting men. There was something about the communities at the time & some home front activities including nursing wounded soldiers.
The Museums poster advertising the event featured Private Horace Weedon, one of the individuals commemorated, & two smaller picture of nursing wounded soldiers at Howick Hall.
The story of Horace Weedons war service was taken from an exchange of letters between him &, mainly, his mother but also some other members of his family. Check it out here.
Read, also, a piece from the 30 April edition of the Northumberland Gazette with the story of Thomas Hedley & his son James & their story relating to the Great War, They, too, featured as part of the display.