Commemorating World War I

Later this year, Haddenham will be seeking to commemorate the start of the First World War.

A small organising group, led by Graham Tyack, has been meeting in recent weeks to plan a series of activities and events. The group has included Alan Rose representing Haddenham Museum, Nick Burch a researcher and battle field tour guide, Emma Barrett, manager of the Haddenham Community Library and Nigel Crompton, the Chairman of the Oxford and Buckinghamshire Branch of the Western Front Association.

The initial plans are focused around November 2014.  In the week leading up to Remembrance Sunday (9th November), the local churches will be arranging activities of a spiritual and reflective nature for remembrance, peace and forgiveness including the Codex service at St Mary's Church on at 6:30 pm on Sunday 2nd November, when there will be appropriate readings including poems written by those involved in the fighting.

On Thursday 6th November, Nigel Crompton will be mounting a display in the Haddenham Community Library, which will remain there until early December.  And, on Friday 14th and Saturday 15th November, there will be a play in St Mary's Church written by Margaret Watkins, based on the experiences of Haddenham residents during the War. The coordinating group hopes that children from the local schools will be visiting the display and will also be involved in the play.

To supplement this, it is also hoped that a series of lectures about various aspects of the War can be arranged on three successive Thursday evenings in November.  These are provisionally planned for 13th November (The Scope of the First World War), 20th November (Women and the Home Front) and 27th November (Origins of the First World War). 

The lecture on 27th November will be given by Professor Gary Sheffield and it is anticipated that he will attract a large audience.