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With help from County Durham Foundation, Wheatley Hill History Club were able to publish a book containing images and information about local people and their contribution to World War 1. The grant also helped them to hold a book launch, which included a war time reenactment group.
The history club is a local historical research group based in the Wheatley Hill, Thornley and Ludworth areas of Easington. Their aims are to bring memories of the past to their community and to raise awareness of the important position that the area has held in terms of industrial, economic and social history.
The club members collect memorabilia, organise exhibitions, hold monthly meetings and encourage the participation of other residents in research activities. They have published 3 books on the history of the villages and produced 2 CD-ROMs of local historical images. They have over 70 members between the ages of 40 to 80 years.
The book launch brought nostalgia to the village for the day and created a sense of community spirit and unity. Hundreds of History enthusiasts stepped back in time to re-live memories of the war, many dressing up in full period costume. A traditional camp and some war songe also added to the atmosphere.
The day was a great success, attracting about 250 people. The
re-enactment group made the day as they wandered around in costume. The group
were not prepared for the amount of interest that the event generated (throughout
the village) and have received numerous offers of help and support from other
groups and individuals.
Margaret Hedley, chair of the club, said:
'This latest book took about five years to research and write and we are very proud of it. The history day is a way of launching the book, it is an event we all look forward to.'
'The grant made it possible for us to publish a unique archive of information which is stored in one place for everyone to access. The book can be passed on to future generations to learn about the history of the village and their ancestors.'
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