Exhibition discovers life and death during World War One

Stories as diverse as a body found on a beach with a steamship ticket from Ireland, a soldier dying in a boxing match before he made it to the front, and a pregnant young woman last seen jumping from Morecambe Pier, all feature in a new exhibition launched in July.

The poignant exhibition 'Time and Tide', runs from Saturday 18 July to Sunday 20 December in various venues across the county.

The display is the result of the examination of coroners' reports on deaths of people on the home front in Lancaster and Morecambe during World War One.

Over the past few months residents have researched available reports of local people and created their life stories, helped by local poet, Sarah Hymas.

Sarah has also held a series of creative writing workshops to support the exhibition and work from these will also be on display.

Victoria McCann, a Lancashire County Council senior archivist, said: "Putting this exhibition together has been a great way to connect people with their local history.

"It may be a more macabre exhibition than usual, but it does give us another perspective on life on the home front.

"We've unearthed some very intriguing stories like the body found on the beach with a steamship ticket from Ireland, a rosary and a recruitment pass, and the soldier who died in a friendly boxing match before he made it to the front."

"We've also found out more about a pregnant and desperate young woman, who was last seen jumping from Morecambe Pier, her blue coat flapping in the wind. There are many other unfortunate stories just like these, which we've made in to an exhibition, so that visitors can gain a very realistic insight into the lives of local people, and importantly what happened to them."

The exhibition will be supported by people who have taken part in the project reading their work at Lancashire Archives on Saturday 28 November from 1.30pm to 3.30pm.

The exhibition is free to attend, booking isn't required and is on display as follows:

The West End Festival, Morecambe, on Saturday 18 July from 12 noon

Heysham Library, Heysham Road, Heysham, from Sunday 20 July until Wednesday 26 August

Morecambe Library, Central Drive, Morecambe, from Thursday 27 August until Wednesday 30 September

Hest Bank Memorial Hall, Hanging Green Lane, Hest Bank, from Thursday 1 October until Thursday 15 October

Lancaster Library, Market Square, Lancaster, from Thursday 15 October until Saturday 14 November

Lancashire Archives, Bow Lane, Preston, from Monday 16 November until Sunday 20 December

For more information, go to www.lancashire.gov.uk/libraries

Alternatively call 0300 123 6703.

ENDS

For further information please contact: Julie Dobson on 01772 536616