Manchester and the Great War ... tomorrow

Tomorrow the story of how Manchester faced up to the Great War.

Clara in the uniform of the East Lancs, undated

Those who participated in the Great War are now dead and their children will soon also have passed away

Added to which some at least of the war memorials are at risk of being lost either through neglect and the passage of time or in the case of a few taken down and just casually forgotten about.

All of which does nothing for our perception of that conflict which is now overlaid with misconceptions and omissions

Their images are frozen in a moment in time, so we either see them as young and eager staring back at us in ill fitting uniforms and in grey munitions overalls or more recently as frail old men and women with faltering voices and walking sticks who were venerated as the last of their generation

But that is to forget that the majority of them lived full productive lives, contributed to their community, and got on with the daily demands of work family and holidays long after the war had been consigned to school history books

"The Manchesters are 'holding their own'", undated

So just under an hour we will explore how the city prepared for the war, the impact of the fours of conflict and how the event was commemorated and remembered.

And as a double bonus  Steve Millward will tell the story of the Manchester Art Treasures Exhibition Of 1857 - still the largest art exhibition ever staged in the UK, and probably the world.

Starts at 1pm till 3pm at Manchester Methodist Church on Manchester Road, on Saturday November 15th.

Admission £6

Location;Manchester Methodist Church

Pictures; Clara in the uniform of the East Lancs, undated and "The Manchesters are 'holding their own at Haywards Heath'", from the collection of David Harrop