Belper to turn back the clock to commemorate First World War

The town’s World War One Working Group is commemorating the centenary of the Battle of Gallipoli, where several Belper men died, with an exhibition of photographs and artefacts at the No.28 Community Hall in the Market Place on Saturday (April 25).

Traditional cakes, biscuits and drinks will be served at the event, which opens at 10am and ends at 1pm with a free talk on Belper in World War One, featuring new research by Richard Pinkett and Adrian Farmer.

All funds raised will be used for re-erecting the replica of Belper’s first war memorial in the Market Place for the centenary of the Battle of the Somme in July 2016.

The memorial replica was first erected for an open air service in August 2014, at the centenary of the beginning of the First World War.

One of the organisers is Adrian Farmer, who will be giving the talk at the end of the event. He said: “The memorial was well-received and felt to be an appropriate way of remembering all the Belper men who died.

“We’re hoping to restore it and have it up in 2016 for the Somme centenary, and again in 2018, 100 years after the war ended.”

“That can only happen with the support of people in the town, so we’re hoping they’ll turn out, see all the old photographs and artefacts, perhaps listen to the talk, and donate towards this act of remembrance.”

Other activities include an arts project featuring Belper School students in life-sized photographs representing teenagers from the town who fought in the conflict.