ARMS AT THE READY: John Sadler of Time Bandits dressed in period costume in Darlington town centre as part of the event. Picture: CHRIS BOOTH
SCHOOL children in a North-East town had the chance to find out more about the region’s role in the First World War during a series of workshops.
As part of a wide project taking in the entire Tees Valley, experts from Time Bandits were in Darlington today in costume and with objects from the Great War.
The living history group is working across all boroughs in the Tees Valley and has been working with Head of Steam – Darlington Railway Museum recently to provide workshops for schools in the town.
Staff from Head of Steam were on hand on the day to discuss this project and their own ‘North East Railways in WW1’ funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The Head of Steam is going to be working with local schools in an imaginative letter-writing programme, responding to real letters from local WW1 soldiers.
These are going to be used in the commemorative performance, called ‘Homecoming’, taking place in Darlington Market Square in Darlington on Friday, November 14.
Homecoming is a new night-time outdoor theatrical spectacle commemorating 100 years since the outbreak of the First World War 1.
It will tell the stories of Tees Valley residents’ contribution to the war efforts, both on the home front and overseas on foreign battlefields – as soldiers, munitions’ workers, pilots & civilians.
The performance will feature stories of local people from each of the five towns, and is being created from research materials gathered by local libraries and archivists, including interviews with local residents.
