The Arboretum is creating a National Archive of World War I family stories and we want you to share your stories with us. We are keen to create a rich tapestry of individual anecdotes and experiences so whether it’s your grandparents, great grandparents or just someone you know who has an interesting past, make their…
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Michael Flowers, a prominent member of the Tolkien Society, visited the weekend of events held in Great Haywood looking at J.R.R. Tolkien’s time spent at Brocton Camp and Great Haywood during World War I. Michael is researching Tolkien’s time in East Yorkshire in 1917-1918, which was sandwiched between his two visits to Staffordshire. Michael has written this…
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*Click here for photos of Lieutenant-Colonel Meynell and scans of the diary* A rare war diary detailing the first day of one of history’s bloodiest battles is to be published for the first time. 100 years ago on 1 July, a huge British offensive was launched in Northern France with the aim of breaking the…
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To honour the enormous sacrifice made by so many on the 1st of July 1916 the Staffordshire Regiment Museum has planned a weekend full of events to mark Somme 100. We are honoured to be able to say we will be opening up two exciting exhibitions. The first ‘Forward North Stafford’s’ pays tribute to Major…
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North Staffs and South Cheshire Branch of the Western Front Association are looking for a partner(s) to join us in a HLF grant application. What Kind of Partner? Any School, Club or organisation with a membership in the 16-20 age group. Would be willing to discuss the feasibility with younger age groups such as schools,…
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Katy Whitaker, Assistant Listing Advisor at Historic England, recently took to the airwaves to highlight the organisation’s bid to give war memorials protection through listing. Historic England aims to list 2,500 memorials before the end of the First World War centenary in November 2018. Talking to BFBS Radio, a not-for-profit charity which aims to provide…
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Thousands of years of history could be uncovered in a new project at one of Staffordshire’s natural treasures. Cannock Chase has one of the best preserved Great War training landscapes in the country and is the largest remaining area of heathland in the West Midlands, but lost beneath the vegetation are prehistoric burial mounds, early…
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This week, Civic Voice announced that it will be carrying out it’s next War Memorials Condition Survey Workshops in Birmingham and Shrewsbury. Civic Voice is looking to engage as many volunteers as possible in these areas. It is estimated that there are over 500 memorials in both Birmingham and Shrewsbury so it is essential for…
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At 7.30am on 1 July 1916 whistles blew along The Western Front as a signal to the troops to go ‘over the top’; this was the start of one of the bloodiest battles of the Great War, the Battle of the Somme. The Western Front Association is encouraging communities to come together and remember those…
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As part of the Reaching Out Arms project the Friends of Cannock Chase are putting on a series of events and activities for local people to enjoy, share and learn more about Cannock Chase’s unique WW1 heritage. Come along and share your memories, go on a bus tour, listen to a talk or learn how…
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