A UNIQUE walking trail which brings to life the hardships of the home front during the First World War and showcases Pershore’s role at the heart of agricultural war effort has been unveiled.
To coincide with the popular annual Pershore Plum Festival, the new trail has been devised to allow town residents and visitors to take a step back in time and see how families dealt with the severe food shortages that began to take hold during the conflict.
Pershore was at the heart of the agricultural war effort and produced most of the plums that were turned into jam, providing a mainstay of the troops’ diet during the Great War.
The trail around England’s plum capital, created by students at the University of Worcester, features ten different places to visit during the festival which comes to a close with the Fayre Day on August Bank Holiday Monday (August 29).
Organiser Angela Tidmarsh said: “Women had to run their homes, take care of their children, work in the fields and find innovative ways to make a little food go a long way.
“The trail brings these realities to life with ten different places to visit and learn about the unique history of this town.
“This includes Pershore Police Station where sugar rations were distributed – so high was the demand for meagre supplies, the law had to get involved to ensure everything was done fairly,” she added.
A second trail has also been produced for youngsters, featuring the Plum Festival mascots Prunella and Eggbert, where children will have to piece together what the two plummy characters need to make their very own plum jam.
And once trail has been followed, youngsters can even try their hand at making jam at home by following a recipe included as part of the trail.
History lovers will be able to find out more facts at the First World War ‘Home Front’ pop-up event at the Town Hall from next Saturday, August 27 to Bank Holiday Monday where the book ‘How the Pershore Plum Won the Great War’ will be available.
Visit www.pershoreplumfestival.org.uk to download the trail route or for more information about the popular festival.
Copies of the route are also available at various locations around the town.
