Great War exhibition is opened at school
A school that has been involved in a project to create a digital archive of First World War memories has held an exhibition to tie in with the archive's launch.
The History Makers First World War Exhibition at Mary Webb School and Science College, in Pontesbury, opened on Friday. The evening was also used to launch the website ww1historymakers.co.uk – a digital archive of interviews, stories and First World War memorabilia created by young and older members of the community in the Rea Valley.
Several students have been involved in the year-long project, which has involved filming and talking to people within the local community about their memories and artefacts from the conflict. And a woman born before the First World War had even begun was the guest of honour at the opening of the exhibition.
The school welcomed along Delphine Joyce, who was born in 1913, the year before the First World War started. She told of how she remembers having two ladies staying at her house who were munition workers. The 102-year-old had been interviewed by Feryn Walmsley, a student at the school, as part of the Heritage Lottery funded community project.
History teacher, Emma Weston praised the efforts of all those involved in producing the exhibition, and said it would help give people a greater understanding about one of the biggest events in world history.
She said: "The History Makers WW1 project has been a fantastic opportunity for our students to engage with the First World War on a personal level. The students have developed not only knowledge but also skills and techniques with regards to filming and production.
"They have enjoyed working on the project and meeting local people who have shown the students many photographs, documents, medals and artefacts from the Great War. We all feel that it has brought the stories and experiences of the First World War alive."
