Tag Archives: First World War

First World War stories: A Headmaster’s view of the War part 2

In an earlier blog I looked at the first two months of the First World War through the eyes of Alfred Grundy, Headmaster of Whitburn Junior Mixed School. Grundy’s weekly entries in the School log book give us a fascinating… Read more

Health and safety at work 100 years ago

While I was recently cataloguing the personnel records in the Vickers Armstrong collection I came across a large quantity of accident records. These give a fascinating insight into working conditions at the factories and shipyards operated by the firm in Newcastle… Read more

Wor Life Poppy Project

As part of our Wor Life project, commemorating the role of the North East in the First World War, we have been involving schools, families and community groups in creating poppies in our venues.  The poppies have been interpreted differently… Read more

The Neptune Shell Shop bracelet and the response to the shell crisis of 1915 – Part 2

On December 5th 2014 I posted about a gold bracelet we had recently acquired, and its connection with the manufacture of 6” shells in the Neptune Engine Works of Tyne shipbuilders, Swan, Hunter and Wigham Richardson. The post was illustrated… Read more

Highs and Lows of First World War Street Parties in Newcastle and Tyneside

This sunny scene in Byker shows one of hundreds of back-lane tea parties that took place in Newcastle in the lovely hot summer of 1919. The parties celebrated the Peace Treaty of June 28th, which finally ended the First World War.… Read more