A NEW book from the Badsey Society is among the highlights of a weekend of commemorations in the village to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War.
Peace, War & Remembrance: The Great War in Badsey, Aldington and Wickhamford is written by Maureen Spinks with cover design by Ian Gibson and is the fifth book by the society.
Professor Stephen Badsey, whose ancestors lived in Badsey some 400 years ago, from the University of Wolverhampton has written the foreword.
The book examines aspects of village life in a war fought not just on the battlefield, but also on the home front. Children grew up in the shadow of war, their fathers absent or lost. Women became directly involved, picking up the pieces of industry and agriculture as the men went off to fight.
Drawing on letters written by the Sladden family, the diary of Charles Binyon, personal remembrances and newspaper and parish magazine articles, the book brings to life what ordinary people knew about the Great War and what they thought about it.
A special exhibition about the conflict, commemorating the contributions made by the people of Badsey, Aldington and Wickhamford, will be held in St James’ Church today (Saturday) from 10am to 4pm.
As well as exhibition boards about the village 100 years ago and information booklets about the servicemen who lost their lives, there will also be a display of wartime crested china, embroidered cards and a poignant display of hearts embroidered by members of Badsey Women’s Institute.
Readings of extracts of letters from nurse Mela Brown Constable to her fiancé Cyril Sladden will also be read at intervals during the day.
Visit www.badseysociety.uk for more.
