At Chippenham Town Council’s recent tourism, heritage and marketing committee meeting, local historian, author and expert on the First World War, Richard Broadhead, gave a short presentation about Chippenham’s plans for commemorating the Great War during 2014-19.

Mr Broadhead described Chippenham and the museum as ‘already ahead of the game’ with its activities in schools and described the most recent project where the three secondary schools have been working together to form an exhibition of their work on the Great War.

This is now on display at the Yelde Hall as a ‘pop up exhibition’. Cross curriculum First Wolrd War weeks for Year 9 are now planned to be a permanent part of the curriculum.

Each school has also benefited from a portable interactive display that has been provided free of charge by the Finding the Forgotten project and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

This novel system provides an insight into local life during the war through film, photographs and research material. Every soldier who lost his life in Chippenham is listed and remembered on this site. An interactive display has also been provided to the museum and is available for the public to access.

Mr Broadhead together with the Finding the Forgotten project and the museum are currently working together to find a suitable way to further commemorate the Great War.

Ideas include constructing a tableau in the Neeld Hall representing the use of the hall as a Red Cross Hospital during the Great War, an Armistice Day commemoration in 2018 and a ‘peace party’ commemorating the real end of the war on June 28 2019.

Chippenham Museum staff and Mr Broadhead are also taking part in discussions about county wide commemorations.

The museum would be glad to receive any ideas that the public might have about providing a lasting legacy and commemoration of the Great War.

Please contact Melissa Barnett or Richard Broadhead at Chippenham Museum and Heritage Centre.