Event - Great War exhibition coming to Nottingham Castle in 2014

Nottingham Castle will host a major exhibition, From The Trent to the Trenches, in 2014 to commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of WWI.

Nottingham City Council's Museums and Galleries Service was approached by the Imperial War Museum, London, to join a network of other key museums around the UK who will be programming large-scale events to commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of WWI, in 2014.

The exhibition has now grown into a collaboration with Nottinghamshire County Council, and - we hope - with other museums around the county.

Volunteer Major John Cotterill has helped to recruit an enthusiastic team of volunteers from across the city and county to help research and deliver this ambitious project over the coming years, which will leave an enduring legacy.

The exhibition will look at the contribution made by Nottingham and Nottinghamshire people across all the core military services, as well as life on the home front. The exhibition will also explore the changes wrought by WWI on all aspects of society - changes which reverberate through the decades to the present day.

Paintings, drawings, photographs, maps, Trench Art and other objects will act as touchstones for the descendents of those involved, as well as being a catalyst for investigations in to their own family history. The galleries will include map tables, and research stations, so that visitors can carry out research on the spot, with the assistance of a team of volunteers; there will also be a 'feedback wall' so that people can leave their own memories and stories. Much of the research into Nottingham institutions (schools, factories, businesses, families etc) will be carried out specifically for the exhibition by a team of volunteers and will therefore leave an enduring legacy.

The exhibition is likely to run from July to November 2014, with a special event on 4 August to coincide with the actual centenary of the start of the Great War

Councillor Dave Trimble, Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture and Tourism, said, "The Great War was dubbed 'the war to end all wars'. As we commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of conflict, this exhibition will also provide a moment of thought and reflection for all of us. It will also allow us to explore the impact of the Great War on Nottinghamshire today and to capture the stories of the Great War from sons and daughters of those who fought in the field or made their contribution at home, perhaps for the last time."
Nottinghamshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Environment and Sustainability Richard Butler said the events planned for the city and the county would be a fitting tribute to the thousands of Nottinghamshire people who lost their lives in the Great War.

"This exhibition will be an amazing history lesson for all who view it," said Councillor Butler. "The county council is also compiling a database of all who died in the 1914 - 18 War from a wide collection of sources including industry, business, church, public and military records - it will be a definite record for future generations."

A Great War Antiques Roadshow will be held at County Hall during the summer of 2013.

From: http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=17478

Event - Great War Centenary 2014 Preperations (Worksop)

Worksop has a long and proud history and is currently preparing to take its place in the centenary exhibition on the Great War of 1914-1918.

The main event will take place at Nottingham Castle during 2014 and will be known as "The Trent to the Trenches": the Nottinghamshire Great War

There will be an planning meeting this Sunday at 2pm at Worksop Library for anyone wishing to take on a volunteer role. Various tasks need to be undertaken including research roles, assisting with genealogy enquiries and much more.

The meeting is is free to attend and open to everyone,

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help ensure the centenary of the war that changed the face of the county is marked in a comprehensive and comprehensible way. Only this way will its importance continue to be remembered and appreciated in the 21st century.

For further details please contact Major John Cotterill , the Centenary Exhibition Organiser on 07733 458971 or at john.cotterill@btinternet.com or just turn up at the library.

Event - Help needed with war centenary exhibition (Newark)

Volunteers are being sought from the Newark area to help with an ambitious project to mark the centenary of the first world war in 2014.

 

An exhibition will begin on August 4, 2014 — a century to the day Britain declared war on Germany — at Nottingham Castle and will continue until Remembrance Sunday that year.

A large amount of work is needed before the exhibition starts and people with an interest in the war are being asked to help.

The project is being led on a voluntary basis by Major John Cotterill, of the 2nd Battalion, The Mercian Regiment (Worcesters and Foresters).

 

He is a trustee of the Sherwood Foresters Museum.

He said the Trent To The Trenches exhibition would explain the impact the war had on Nottinghamshire.

The conflict claimed the lives of about 11,000 people from the county.

A launch day for volunteers takes place at Nottingham Castle at 10.30am on January 22, for which people need to register.

Major Cotterill said there were several components to the project, being jointly funded by Nottinghamshire county and Nottingham city councils.

A database will be compiled with the details of every person from Nottinghamshire who died in the war.

 

Large data screens will be displayed at the exhibition mapping casualties by parish so visitors can view those who died in their area. The database will be available online.

Major Cotterill said volunteers were needed to research names from war memorials and hoped someone could co-ordinate the work in Newark and Sherwood.

About 1,500 people from the district died in the war.

Another part of the project is to bring war memorials to life through volunteers giving talks at memorials about those commemorated and their links to the area.

These talks will be throughout 2014.

Tours will be organised of war memorials of particular significance, such as those that include noteworthy names.

Enthusiasts are needed to identify which memorials in Newark and Sherwood should be included, and help research and deliver their part of the tour.

The impact the war had on organisations such as sports teams, factories and businesses also needs to be researched.

Those with links to schools are asked to come forward to help organise the involvement of children, which is expected both in the school holidays and in term time.

During the exhibition experts will be on hand to help visitors research their family links to the war.

Antiques Roadshow-style events will enable people to bring along first world war-related items so they discover more about them.

The exhibition will take up the ground floor of Nottingham Castle. People with an interest in design are being invited to help with the layout.

Young people in particular are being encouraged to get involved and may be able to earn a qualification through their contribution.

Anyone interested should contact Major Cotterill on 0115 957 2010 or 07733458971, or email john.cotterill613@mod.uk or john.cotterill@btinternet.com

 

From: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Help-needed-with-war-centenary-exhibition

News - Roman ear pick among artefacts for adoption in Newark

A Roman ear pick is one of 18 items put up for adoption to raise funds for a Nottinghamshire museum.

Newark's Millgate Museum's adopt-an-artefact initiative will help towards a new national centre for Civil War learning in the town.

Objects have been chosen by museum staff from the 60,000 items in stores.

Sue Rodgers, from The Friends of Newark and Sherwood Museum Service, said the scheme was a way for everyone to engage with the heritage of their local area.

Other artefacts chosen include a pair of ladies' shoes from 1817 and a Roman lead coffin discovered at Brough in 1971 which held the skeleton of a young female dating from 300AD.

For donating a minimum of £10, people will receive a certificate of adoption and an information sheet on their chosen object.

Bryony Robins, from Millgate Museum, said: "Hopefully it will get people interested in the collection and raise awareness of the museum's extensive stores, which are open to the public on request."

Adopt-an-artefact

Items up for adoption include...

• A Roman Cavalry Helmet's copper cheek piece
• A post-medieval gold pendant
• A polished stone axe head
• A military tunic
• An Anglo-Saxon gold cross pendant

The scheme is the first of several fundraising projects planned by the Friends of Newark and Sherwood Museum Service who aim to raise between £50,000 and £100,000 for the Civil War Centre over the coming years.

The museum, on Appleton Gate, is expected to cost about £5m and is due to open in 2014.

Newark and Sherwood District Council has received about £200,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to carry out initial development work on the museum.

It will be bidding for a further £3.4m in February, with most of the money being used to restore the Old Magnus building which is housing the exhibits.

From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-16197010

News - Sherwood Forest and National Water Sports Centre private sector plea

Nottinghamshire County Council has appealed to the private sector and charities to help it run two major tourist attractions.

The authority wants help to set up a new visitor centre at Sherwood Forest and to run the National Water Sports Centre at Holme Pierrepont.

A council spokesperson said it wanted investors with expertise who can help the centres to make a profit.

The proposals will be considered by the council's cabinet on 14 September.

The council wants a new visitor centre to be up and running at Sherwood Forest by 2014.

Councillor John Cottee, cabinet member for culture and community services, said: "The present site is nearly 40 years old and, although well-loved, doesn't provide the full visitor experience that people expect in 2011.

"County council funds are limited and to build a visitor centre that the forest and its famous legend deserve will need significant investment."

'Positive future'

Several designs for a new centre in the forest have been drawn up over the past five years and it failed in a bid to win Lottery funding in 2007.

The council took over the running of the water sports centre in 2009 from Sport England.

The facility costs the authority £350,000 a year to run which will increase to £800,000 when Sport England funding ends.

Councillor Cottee said a new visitor centre and the refurbishment of existing facilities needed to take place at the site over the next 10 years.

"The county council is committed to securing a long term positive future for the NWSC with high quality leisure facilities for community and elite use.

"We do not want to burden the taxpayer so a partner with expertise in this industry will be the best way to help us achieve our ambition," he said.

The contract for the Sherwood Forest visitor centre is expected to be awarded in spring 2012, with the Holme Pierrepont one being handed over in December 2012.

From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-14800058

News - Major recruits army of Notts volunteers to tell story of the Great War (Notts)

THE war memorials and plaques honouring those who fell bear silent witness to the part the men and women of Notts played in the First World War.

Those who served on the front line were among the bravest of the brave, those who were left behind kept the wheels of industry turning.

The centenary of the start of what was supposed to be "the war to end all wars" is three years away, but already plans are being drawn up to commemorate the part local people played.

In 2014, Nottingham Castle will be the venue for an ambitious exhibition reflecting every aspect of the local contribution to the war effort.

The man tasked with organising the exhibition is serving officer Major John Cotterill of 2 Mercian (Worcesters and For esters), a career soldier and military historian.

Although the event, scheduled for August to November 2014, is still three years away, Major Cotterill says his preparations have already begun and he is hoping to quickly recruit local enthusiasts to provide support and help.

"I will need lots of volunteers," he said. "The exhibition will run for between two and three months, every day.

"The exhibition will, of course, feature artefacts and memorabilia from the First World War – but they can wait. What is important now is for me to talk to people interested in becoming involved.

"I need ideas. We will be taking over the whole of the first floor at the Castle, it is a big space to fill.

"The only limiting factor will be funding, so we will be relying on people's goodwill."

Archival material from the Sherwood Foresters Museum, which is located in the Castle, will be readily available, but Major Cotterill wants stories from as many other regiments as possible, along with ships of the Royal Navy and squadrons of the Royal Flying Corps.

And from the home front the contribution of local industry will have to be recognised.

From 1914 to 1918, Raleigh, Boots, Players and other manufacturing centres all turned their machines and employees to war work.

The shell-filling factory at Chilwell employed thousands of local people; hospitals were stretched to breaking point as they cared for the injured.

It is Major Cotterill's ambition to create an exhibition that will honour all contributions, and reflect on the war's impact on our community.

"This exhibition gives us an opportunity to explore all of the facets of Nottinghamshire's involvement in the war that changed this country more than any other," he said.

"Men from the county fought on land, on sea and in the air and very few families do not have an ancestor – known or unknown – who did not come home again.

"Men and women worked in the shell filling factory at Chilwell or in other war-related industries.

"Women filled the jobs of men who went away, in the fields and the factories as well as nursing both at home and abroad.

"Women also joined all three of the Armed Forces themselves for the first time.

"There is a tremendous amount of interest in the Great War and knowledge about it throughout Notts. We are keen to tap into this enthusiasm in the very early planning stages so that the Centenary Exhibition can be as comprehensive as possible."

If you would like to become involved in the Great War Exhibition, or have any memorabilia to loan for display, contact Major Cotterill c/o RHQ Mercian (Nottingham), Foresters House, Chetwynd Barracks, Chilwell, Nottingham NG9 5HA or email john.cotterill@btinternet.com

From: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/news/Major-recruits-army-Notts-volunteers-tell-story-Great-War/article-3422969-detail/article.html