Remembering those from Heaton Mersey who served in the Great War, today and tomorrow at Heaton Methodist Church

Now until recently I had no idea of the number of buildings which were turned over to Red Cross Hospitals during the Great War.

But bit by bit their history is coming to light.  Most were in buildings donated for the duration of the conflict and ranged from Sunday School Halls, to private residences and were used for soldiers recovering from wounds and illnesses.

They were partly funded by voluntary contributions and many of the staff were volunteers, and once the war was over the contents of the hospitals from beds to bed pans, blankets, typewriters and crockery were auctioned off.

Most of the buildings returned to their pre-war use and within a generation the presence of these Red Cross hospitals was forgotten.

Today only a handful of people may know of the existence of one in their neighbourhood.

So to help focus on these over the weekend there will be an exhibition at Heaton Methodist Church and a tour of the homes of the men from Heaton Mersey who served during the war.

The exhibition at Heaton Methodist Church, Cavendish Road, will be open from  10 – 4, today and  2-5 Sunday with the  walk at  1pm on  Saturday  and 3pm Sunday

* Heaton Methodist Church, https://www.facebook.com/hmmchurch

Pictures; courtesy of David Harrop