First World War Centenary

Towcester history
Special events
in 2018 

 WW1 Commemoration
Towcester Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) Hospital at ‘The Lodge’, home of Walter Bairstow J.P.Towcester VAD Hospital at ‘The Lodge’, home of Walter Bairstow J.P.

The Towcester Area WWI Commemoration writing competitions

The 2016 Towcester Area WWI Commemoration writing competition was a great success with 125 entries from four local schools. The writing competition in 2017 was about the Battle of Towcester which took place in AD 917. The 2018 writing competition is again about commemorating the First World War.

The writing competitions are organised by the Towcester and District Local History Society on behalf of the Towcester Area WW1 Commemoration Committee.

Towcester Area WW1 Commemoration Events completed since January 2014

  • A talk in March 2108 by local historian Martin MarixEvans on “The Great Retreat - the German assault of March 1918 and the 7th Northamptonshires”
  • A talk in October 2017 on “Zeppelin raids” by Harvey Watson of the Battlefield Trust (BT).
  • A talk in April 2017 on “Edgar Mobbs” and the other eleven Saints players who died in WW1 by Graham McKechney of Radio Northampton.
  • A talk in September 2016 by historian and popular television presenter Dan Snow on “The Battle of the Somme” that filled St.Lawrence Church and raised £2,500.
  • The 2016 writing competition on the topic "Quick! The wounded have arrived".
  • The 2015 writing competition on the topic "When the Zeppelins came".
  • The 2014 writing competition for a biography of someone from the Towcester area who was alive during the Great War.
  • “Killed, July 17th 1916”, a play by the Looking Glass Theatre.
  • Stands relating to the Great War at the 2014 Blakesley Show.
  • A Remembrance Parade at the Sunday Service at St.Lawrence Church on 3rd August.
  • A month long exhibition on the First World War at Towcester Library.
  • Greens Norton Community Choir sang popular songs of the Great War.
  • “Show and tell” memorabilia day.
  • “The Towcester Home Front 1914-1918”, a lecture at Towcester Library. Two performances.
  • An evening of poetry and other readings relating to the Great War.
  • Towcester Town Hall as a cinema as it might have been at the time of the Great War.
  • A WW1 concert, with the Towcester Studio Band and the Towcester Choral Society.
  • A public lecture at Towcester Town Hall “Still Standing! The 1st Northamptonshire (48th Foot) August to November, 1914”.

"The Towcester Area WW1 Commemoration Committee" was set up to mark the Centenary of the First World War. The Chairman is John Morris, and members include the Towcester and District Local History Society, Towcester Library, Towcester Royal British Legion, Greens Norton Royal British Legion, the Rector of Towcester, the Mayor of Towcester, Towcester Museum, Towcester Town Council, Towcester Waitrose and Towcester Women's Institute. The programme of events was launched at Towcester Museum on 29th January 2014.

For more information please contact either Towcester Library or Towcester and District Local History Society.