Hundreds turn out to see Bosworth Tommies exhibition

Hundreds of people have turned out for an exhibition celebrating Market Bosworth’s links to the First World War.

The exhibition – A Market Town at War: 1914-1918 – has been open to the public at Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre since the start of March. It is the result of a three-year project by the Bosworth Tommies, a group of 12 county council-supported volunteers, aged between 20 and 70, with leaning difficulties and disabilities.

I am delighted to be able to cut the ribbon on this fabulous exhibition, which has already been seen and enjoyed by hundreds of people. It’s lovely to be able to do something to mark all their hard work and the volunteers should be proud of what they have achieved so far.

Person:Janice Richards, county council chariman

The group has worked closely with the Century of Stories project, a four-year county council initiative funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, to help people explore their personal connections to the First World War.

The volunteers worked with Bosworth Historical Society, which shared their research gathered from people living in and around Bosworth, as well as helping to put the exhibition together.

The exhibition includes a number of handmade ceramic poppies based on the installation at the Tower of London, a stained glass window created as a tribute to the soldiers in the war and a patchwork depicting aspects of the First World War, with each square handmade by members of the group.

The centrepiece of the exhibition is the Bosworth Street – a 3D wooden recreation of a market town in the First World War, complete with houses, shops and animals.

Entry to the Bosworth Tommies exhibition is free and it runs until the end of the year.