NEWYDDION

Darparwyd yr eitem hon i Cymru’n Cofio Wales Remembers 1914-1918 yn Saesneg yn unig.

Plans are already well underway for a major new exhibition at the County Borough museum, the Winding House,  “Our Duty to Bear”:  the First World War and Caerphilly County Borough.  Opening in August, 2014, the exhibition will explore how the War affected men, women and children in Caerphilly County Borough. From the experiences of local men who fought on the Western Front and beyond, to all those who remained on the home front back in South Wales, the exhibition will explore the impact of the War on the local area through carefully curated objects, images, film and sound.

The museum has already had a strong response from members of the public with loans and donations of material for the exhibition, and is urging more people from the County Borough to come forward with stories, information, objects, photographs or documents relating to the First World War period that they would be willing to loan or donate for the exhibition.

Museums and Heritage Officer, Emma Wilson says, “we’ve already had a terrific response from local people with loans of some very personal and poignant items – from letters written home by local soldiers in the trenches, to silk postcards and handkerchiefs sent from France to sweethearts back home, from photographs and military medals of fathers, grandfathers and great uncles – even to objects being carried by a young soldier when he was sadly killed in action just one month before the War ended.”

Emma continues, “We’re urging more people to contact us if they have any objects, documents or photographs relating to the First World War period in Caerphilly County Borough, that they would be willing to loan or donate for the exhibition. We’d like to gather information about how the War affected life in the area – not just for those who served in the armed forces but also stories relating to life on the home front back in South Wales either for those family members for whom life continued at home, or even those who were conscientious objectors. We’re keen to reflect as much of life during the period as we can – not just the military side of the War, but the social, industrial and political aspects of the period too.  All objects, photographs and documents will be carefully looked after during the exhibition and we are more than happy to arrange for photos and documents to be scanned and copied if owners do not want to loan their originals.”

The Winding House has joined the Imperial War Museum’s First World War Centenary Partnership, a network of local, regional, national and international cultural and educational organisations involved in commemorating the War and is keen to ensure that the First World War experiences of men, women and children from across Caerphilly County Borough are commemorated and remembered.

“Our Duty to Bear”:  the First World War and Caerphilly County Borough” will open at the Winding House on 2^nd August, 2014 and will be on display until Summer 2015.  If you would like to loan or donate any objects, photographs or documents for the exhibition – or if you have any stories or information relating to life during the First World War period that you would like to share –  please contact Emma at the Winding House on  01443 822 666 or email windinghouse@caerphilly.gov.uk