Oxfordshire museum to hold World War One family day

The Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum, in Woodstock, will host the event on Saturday, November 2, from midday to 5pm.

The day will be packed with activities for all ages, marking 110 years since the outbreak of the Great War and celebrating the museum's 10th anniversary.

It will aim to allow people to discover more about Oxfordshire’s contribution to events that changed the world and the stories of local people caught up in them.

The Great War display at Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum (Image: Colin J Morris)There will be an illustration workshop focused on wartime animals, and the chance to make a ‘Princess Mary’ tin like those given to soldiers at Christmas in 1914.

The museum's galleries will be open, along with a range of First World War living history displays.

The Great War Society, Britain's longest-running First World War living history group, will portray soldiers from the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry at different stages of the conflict.

The Great War Society (Image: Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum) The Great War Society (Image: Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum)There will also be interpretations of French soldiers from Volontaires Etrangers.

The museum's permanent displays cover various fronts of the war, from the western front to Mesopotamia, which is now Iraq.

A recreated trench dugout will allow visitors to walk through history, with equipment and clothing available to handle and try on.

The trench dugout at Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum (Image: Colin J Morris) The trench dugout at Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum (Image: Colin J Morris)There will also be a chance to learn more about local and family history with displays from other museums and heritage organisations, including the Western Front Association, Chipping Norton Museum, Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum, and the Royal Army Chaplains’ Museum.

Great War historian and author Helen Frost will also be attending, promoting her new book, Voices from the Great War: Women's Land Army.

Helen Frost (Image: Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum) Signed copies will be available, along with a display of Land Girls’ uniforms and photographs.

People with a family story from the First World War and objects to share can talk to museum staff and volunteers.

The museum is particularly interested in First World War objects with a personal story linked to the county or one of its regiments.

On the day, the museum will not charge its usual admission prices. Instead, visitors are encouraged to pay what they can, with entry by donation.

All proceeds will go towards the museum’s 10th anniversary fundraising campaign.

This will help the museum to continue to look after and grow its collections, preserving and sharing Oxfordshire’s military and wartime stories.

Blenheim Palace, a short walk from the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum, is supporting the event by providing additional parking for visitors.