Poppy mural marks the way to World War 1 Remembrance Centre
A new mural marking the way to the World War 1 Remembrance Centre has been unveiled at nearby Hilsea Station.
The artwork depicting life in the trenches is part of a series of improvements to the station’s safety, appearance, and accessibility made by Portsmouth City Council, enabled with a £50,000 grant from South Western Railway’s (SWR) Customer and Communities Improvement Fund.
Contributors gather at the unveiling ceremony. Picture: Portsmouth City Council
The painting of the mural was coordinated by ThinkingBigger Ltd. It will serve as a wayfinder to the Remembrance Centre, based in Bastion 6 in Hilsea Lines, who also contributed to its design. The councillors who represent the Hilsea area also helped to steer the project.
ThinkingBigger Ltd is a Portsmouth-based publishing company and educational service provider. The piece brings together the incredible artwork of two of the publishing house’s authors: Spike Zephaniah Stephenson, the artist whose design was chosen, and local historian Professor Sue Harper, who penned the letter incorporated into the mural.
These improvements will not only enhance safety and accessibility in the Hilsea area but also strengthen our community’s connection to its rich history. As we commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day, it is particularly poignant to see these efforts come to fruition.
Cllr Steve Pitt
Its launch was marked by a ‘yarn bomb’ of crocheted poppies, made by volunteers from across the city and beyond, supported by Seeded Southsea. Volunteers from the Remembrance Centre have supported the mural design. They decorated the new bollards that have been installed to help keep the space clear of vehicles for pedestrians.
The poppy, a symbol of remembrance and hope since the First World War, now represents all those who have lost their lives in active service to the present day. A second remembrance mural is under construction on the west side of the underpass, which the council hopes to develop in collaboration with local schools.
The £50,000 grant will be used to make significant improvements in the area between Hilsea Station, the WWI Remembrance Centre, and the start of Hilsea Lines, including improved wayfinding, lighting, and additional CCTV in the vicinity of Hilsea Station and its entrances and exits. These enhancements are to help visitors feel safer and better navigate to key locations such as the footpath to Foxes’ Forest and Hilsea Lines, which are next to the WWI Memorial Centre.
So far, the additional CCTV and lighting have been installed, as well as bollards to improve pedestrian access.
Leader of Portsmouth City Council, Cllr Steve Pitt, said: “We are very grateful to South Western Railway for their generous grant. These improvements will not only enhance safety and accessibility in the Hilsea area but also strengthen our community’s connection to its rich history. As we commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day, it is particularly poignant to see these efforts come to fruition, as we all collectively honour the sacrifice of our Armed Forces, veterans, and their families.”
This project is part of a broader collaboration with SWR to join up their ‘Safe Spaces’ initiative within the train network and the Council’s ‘Safer Streets’ work. The improvements around Hilsea Station are a testament to the ongoing commitment to creating safer, more welcoming environments for all.
South Western Railway’s Customer and Commercial Director, Peter Williams, said: “Grants from our Customer and Communities Improvement Fund are awarded to projects that deliver clear community benefit or address an area of social need across our network. We’ve been very pleased to support Portsmouth City Council’s important scheme to make the area around Hilsea Station safer and more accessible for local residents.”
Centre seeks two key co-ordinators
Trustees of the World War 1 Remembrance Centre are seeking volunteers to take on two crucial new roles.
They plan to recruit two co-ordinators, one for for events and and the other for fundraising, to give the popular free museum a big boost.
We are looking for motivated unpaid volunteers to take on these positions
Visitor numbers have grown appreciably since the centre moved into Bastion No6 in Hilsea Lines 13 years ago.
Now a drive is on to increase footfall yet further. And Charlie Gandar, chairman of the centre’s board of trustees, says the two new appointments will be key to the success of that initiative.
‘We are looking for motivated unpaid volunteers to take on these positions’ he said.
‘The Remembrance Centre is totally reliant on charitable donations and income from fundraising events and we need two suitable people to take on these challenging but very enjoyable roles.’
He said that the successful candidates would each take charge of a team of volunteers to achieve their goals.
‘No formal qualifications are required but a strong desire to succeed is essential. Hours of working will be based around what suits the successful candidates and there are no formal work timings or locations.
‘A good working knowledge of social media platforms is desirable for the fundraising co-ordinator as a lot of our fundraising will be conducted through these mediums. And an impeccable level of integrity is a must.’
Mr Gandar said the trustees would welcome disabled applicants. He added that successful candidates would be subject to a DBS check.
Anyone wishing to apply should phone the centre on 02392 798751 to arrange an interview.
The World War 1 Remembrance Centre, located at the northern end of the Airport Service Road in Hilsea, is housed in one of the historic brick-built forts that formed a defensive ring around Portsmouth.
The once-derelict Victorian building has been transformed since Portsmouth City Council helped centre founder Charles Haskell find a new home as the museum outgrew its previous base at Fort Widley.
The centre is now run by a charity formed by Charles, a former bank official who lives in Paulsgrove.
Throughout the year, the centre opens from 11am to 2pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
Entrance is free, as is parking and the guided tours conducted by volunteers at the museum. These include young people on work experience or following a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award course. For those travelling by train, Hilsea Station is a short stroll away.
Visitors are able to wander around what is now a huge collection of artefacts and stories from World War 1.
Details of Centre’s Remembrance Sunday gathering announced
A two-minute silence will be held at the World War 1 Remembrance Centre on Remembrance Sunday again this year.
People are invited to start arriving at the centre from 10.15am on November 10 for an event that will culminate in the 11am silence.
Music will be provided by the Band of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Army Cadet Force and the Ukes of Wallington.
After the silence, the centre will be open to visitors. Admission and parking are free.
Centre praises South Western Railway’s Remembrance gesture
The World War 1 Remembrance Centre has praised a train company’s free travel offer.
South Western Railway has announced that it will not charge Armed Forces personnel and veterans travelling to Remembrance Sunday events on November 10. The offer is available to anyone travelling in uniform or able to show an appropriate form of identification.
The company says volunteers attending London Poppy Day events on Thursday 31 October can also take up the offer of free travel.
The free offer, which is funded by the Department for Transport, includes travel to Waterloo for the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph on either Saturday 9 or Sunday 10 November, returning on Sunday 10 November. The Submariners’ Remembrance Service on Sunday 3 November is also included in the offer, with travel to Waterloo allowed on either Saturday 2 or Sunday 3 November, returning on Sunday 3 November.
The World War 1 Remembrance Centre praised the initiative in a Facebook comment.
Coins gift boosts Centre’s profits
A friend of the World War 1 Remembrance Centre has given it his ‘piggy bank’ collection.
Derek Gleed stashes away 20p pieces he finds in his change to fund regular donations to good causes.
And this time it was the Centre that benefitted when he arrived with 250 coins in plastic bags.
Charles Haskell, founder of the Centre, thanked Derek for his generous £50 donation.
Derek, who is aged 83 and lives in Fareham, has an established link to the Centre through his long-time membership of the Portsmouth-based Fort Cumberland Guard military re-enactment and display group.
He said: ‘I started collecting the 20p pieces during lockdown, when I would save the change from the daily paper, which cost £1.
‘It doesn’t take long to build up enough to donate to a worthy cause and this time I thought the Centre should benefit. It is a marvellous place and I rate it as the best free museum in Portsmouth. It doesn’t just tell the stories of battles but looks at the personalities who fought in World War 1 – it’s full of quirky information!’
If you would like to make a donation to help us keep the Centre running, please see the details here
Visitor numbers soar as Centre joins Heritage Open Days
Visitor numbers at the World War Remembrance Centre more than doubled as the museum joined England’s annual Heritage Open Days event for the first time.
Centre founder Charles Haskell praised volunteers who worked hard to show everyone around the unique museum.
‘A lot of them are young people and they all went the extra mile’ he said.
Visitors were thrilled by what they found. ‘Brilliant – guides were fantastic!’ said a tourist from Weston-super-Mare. ‘An excellent tour. We absolutely loved the small personal stories from the era@ said a member of a party from the Royal British Legion Riders who called by.
And a Waterlooville couple who signed the visitors’ book noted: ‘So interesting and so much to look at. The knowledge and the stories are amazing!’
The Centre has signed up to participate in next year’s Heritage Open Days, which will be held from September 12 to 21, 2025.
Centre volunteers visit Lord Mayor of Portsmouth
A party of volunteers from the World War 1 Remembrance Centre were treated to a guided tour of the ‘crown jewels’ of Portsmouth by the city’s Lord Mayor.
Centre founder Charles Haskell led a group who were shown the city’s silver – the second largest civic collection – by Councillor Jason Fazackarley.
He extended a return invitation after visiting the centre earlier this year. Volunteers were also shown around the Lord Mayor’s Parlour and the council chamber in an entertaining and informative tour.
Centre to take part in Heritage Open Days 2024
The World War 1 Remembrance Centre in Portsmouth is to take part in England’s annual Heritage Open Days celebration for the first time.
Heritage Open Days is the country’s largest festival of history and culture, involving thousands of local volunteers and organisations.
Every year for 10 days in September it brings people together to celebrate their heritage, community and history.
Stories are told, traditions explored, and histories brought to life. It’s offers the public a chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences – and all for free.
The World War 1 Remembrance Centre, which offers free admission as well as free parking and free guided tours throughout the year, has signed up for the 2024 event, which runs from September 6-15.
During that time the Centre will be open from 11am until 2pm on Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
As well as viewing hundreds of artefacts and displays and listening to many unusual stories from World War 1, visitors can admire the historic building in which the Centre is based.
Built in around 1860, Bastion 6 is at the western end of the row of forts that provided an inner protection ring around Portsmouth.
For more information on Heritage Open Days, go to https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/
Brothers’ long-lost medals returned to family
Medals won by two brothers in World War 1 have been returned to their family thanks to a volunteer at the World War 1 Remembrance Centre.
Gordon Cross acquired the awards in a batch he bought several years ago. Recently, he decided to try to trace the family of the recipients, Frank and Albert Caines. Before long he found a Facebook appeal posted by Welsh air hostess Lisa Smith, who was seeking the medals given to her great uncles more than 100 years ago. Gordon invited her to the World War 1 Remembrance Centre in Portsmouth to collect the awards she had been seeking for so long. Lisa, who travelled from her home in Pontypool for the presentation, said: ‘What an amazing surprise to have Gordon contact me and say that he had the medals. ‘It’s lovely that they are coming back into the family. It’s where they belong. It’s quite emotional to have them back, to think that I’ve got the medals that they had over 100 years ago’ Frank and Albert, together with their brother Arthur, all signed up to fight in the war. Arthur and Albert joined the Royal Field Artillery and Frank enlisted in the Monmouthshire Regiment. Arthur went through the war but Albert was wounded just before Christmas, 1914 and was invalided out of service and Frank, who was 19, was killed in action in March 1915. All three were awarded the Mons Star, the Great War Medal and the Victory Medal. Lisa added: ‘I’ve done quite a bit of research on them and have been to Belgium to visit Frank’s grave. I’ve always wondered where the medals had gone.’ Gordon said: ‘I bought the medals off of a chap on Facebook – they came with another group of medals which belonged to his family. Those went to a friend of mine, and Frank’s and Albert’s medals I put aside and they sat there for three years. Recently I considered selling them in a shop where I’ve got a cabinet but I thought I’d do further research first to see if I could find any living relatives. ‘Lo and behold, because Lisa had done some real great research, her link came up first on a Google search. And here we are. The medals have gone back to where they should be. It’s terrific.’ Buoyed by managing to find her great-uncles’ medals, Lisa is now redoubling her efforts to track down the three service awards given to her grandad. Arthur Caines, who, like his brothers, came from Blaenavon in south Wales, was living in Doncaster at the time of his death in 1976. The family believe the medals might have been sold privately around that time, or perhaps in 2007 or shortly afterwards. Lisa hopes that anyone who can help her in her quest will email her at pwlldu68@gmail.com
Gosport Shed members visit Centre
Members of the Gosport Shed were treated to a captivating guided tour of the World War 1 Remembrance Centre in Portsmouth.
The 12-strong party were greeted by the museum’s founder, Charles Haskell, who enthralled them with stories from the battlefield and the home front.
Among a host of unusual tales, he explained the quirky World War 1 link between the Titanic disaster and Alice in Wonderland (the war grave of the lawyer who headed the disaster inquiry is next to that of a son of Alice Hargreaves, nee Liddell, who as a girl inspired Lewis Carroll’s story).
The Shed members expressed their appreciation to Charles for his fascinating talk during the hour-long tour.
Precious souvenirs donated to World War 1 Remembrance Centre
Proud Alex Donnelly has gifted her treasured collection of World War 1 mementoes to the free museum in Portsmouth dedicated to those who fought and died in the conflict.
She thrilled volunteers at the World War 1 Remembrance Centre by arriving unannounced with the lovingly-kept newspapers and postcards gathered by her grandfather during the conflict.
John Edwin Davey, who lived in Cosham, lost a leg in April, 1918, while serving in France with the Worcestershire Regiment.
Alex, of Waterlooville, said: ‘His collection was kept by my grandmother after his death and then inherited by my mother. They passed to me when she died two years ago.
‘The postcards are a wonderful snapshot from the time and the newspapers are absolutely fascinating. Many that he collected were editions giving news of some of the biggest events of the war.
‘I loved coming to the World War 1 Remembrance Centre as a visitor with my sister a few months ago and think it’s important that local connections to the war are retained so I decided it was time to give other people the chance to see my grandfather’s collection.’
Charles Haskell, chief executive officer of the centre, which is based in Bastion 6 of Hilsea Lines at the northern end of the Airport Service Road, was on hand for Alex to chat through her collection before she handed it over.
He said: ‘I’m so in debt to Alex – these are amazing relics from the war that will help us still further in telling the personal stories behind the conflict. They will be well looked after!’
Alex, whose grandfather was 61 when he died in 1951, was so pleased that the collection had been gratefully received that she arrived again a few days later with more mementoes.
They included maps covered in pinholes on which someone had apparently been plotting troop positions, a flimsy match programme from the 1914 FA Cup Final between Burnley and Liverpool.
Charles added: ‘Many people have made donations of memorabilia to us and we are always delighted to receive them. Anyone who would like to offer us a family heirloom or piece of memorabilia to allow others to see it is welcome to come along to the centre or to call us on 023 92798751.’
Remembrance Sunday
The World War 1 Remembrance Centre will again be hosting a Remembrance Sunday commemoration this year.
Visitors are invited to gather at the centre on the morning of Sunday, November 10.
Further details will be announced nearer to the time.