Fascinating personal glimpses into life during World War I have been revealed in a notebook donated to St Catherine’s.
The album of thoughts and reflections written by soldiers and civilians in the North East nearly 100 years ago is believed to have belonged to the mother of a former care home resident. The inscription on the flyleaf reads: Miss S Morton of Ebor Street in Heaton. It was given by the family to Activities Coordinator, Richard Dobinson, for his reminiscence work at the home.
The book contains a collection of comic rhymes, pencil and ink sketches, musings and poignant notes, including this promise to support the war effort written on Boxing Day 1915 by Miss A Morton:
“Some have boys (who) are out in France,
While I’m content to stay and dance,
But if things get much worse,
I’ll go and be a Red Cross Nurse.”
While Private T Welburn writes, on 16 April 1916 on the page where he has drawn a picture of a badge of the Northumberland Fusiliers:
“Well dear friends I am here half dead,
The next time you come I will be in bed,
But never mind the time will come,
When we will both lie in one.”
The book of snippets is part of the a collection of war time memorabilia which Richard has been gathering from St Catherine’s residents, families and friends for a special commemoration event planned for Friday 9 May at the home.
“There will be a display of mementos from both World Wars which have been loaned to us including an engraved dinner bell made from a shell and bullet by a German prisoner of war in 1918. Beamish Museum is also set to come to show us some artefacts and give a talk,” said Richard. “We’ll have a performance by members of the Royal Marine Band to entertain residents too, and hopefully we’ll have the room decorated with original bunting supplied by Morpeth Antiquarian Society.”