The exhibition ‘A Stirling 100’ remembering the impact World War one had on Stirling, opens at the Stirling Smith on Friday at 11am,2015, and all are welcome to attend. The exhibition from the University of Stirling, with the support of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, features photographs of the parish memorials to the Great War located within the boundaries of the current Stirling district. It also presents photographs and biographical information about one hundred fallen service men, gathered through archival services and local newspapers.
For its showing in the Smith, paintings and objects from the Smith’s collections have been added. The research and presentation has been done by Christina Flöher, an intern from the University of Leipzig in Germany, assisted by Mathilde Macaux from Namur in Belgium.
Shown here are two cards sent by a Stirling soldier to his wife and “his dear wee lass Elsie” at Christmas 1917 and May 1918.
Christina and Mathilde will be present to greet visitors, and Tapsalteerie Theatre will do a short performance on Stirling and the Great War, featuring pupils from Stirlingshire schools. Tea and dumpling will be served.
Elspeth King
Comment(1)
Debbie Reyburn says
30th August 2015 at 9:27 PMMy name is Debbie and I live in New Zealand. Stirling during the time of the Great War has special significance to me and my family. When my great grandfather was young his mother died and his father, Mark, remarried Annie, also a widow. Annie had come to New Zealand from Stirling following the deaths of her husband and her two daughters all within a short time of each other. Annie became stepmother to my great grandfather William Herbert (Bert) Robinson and his sister Iris. World War One, and my Great grandfather, after fighting with the ANZACs at Gallipolli, is in England and decides to make the trip to Stirling to visit his stepmother’s family. This is how he ended up on the doorstep on a house in Bayne Street, and how he met Annie’s beautiful niece – my great grandmother Euphemia, then Stevenson! Bert returned to Bayne Street when ever he could and on 15th February 1919 he and Phem married at the family home in Bayne Street.One month later my then 19 year old great grandmother farewelled her family and set sail for her new life in New Zealand, knowing she would probably never see her precious family or Stirling ever again. I know my family history reaches way further back than this point in time, but for me this Stirling love story during the Great War is where it all begins. My great grandparents were married for 55 years – Bert passing away first in 1974, Phem in 1976. And although Nana kept in touch with her family in Scotland, writing a multitude of letters over the years, she never did return to her beloved Scotland.