Exhibition will mark 100 years since start of WW1

The Conisbrough and Denaby Main Heritage Group and the Conisbrough branch of The Royal British Legion are marking the milestone with a display at Conisbrough Library and a march in the town centre on Sunday.

The parade will starting from Conisbrough Library at 1.45pm on Sunday and proceed via West Street, New Hill, Castle Avenue and Castle Hill to the War Memorial in Coronation Park on Low Road.

There will be a service at 2pm conducted by Rev Reg Davies, Vicar of All Saints Parish Church, Denaby Main during which the names of all the fallen from both Conisbrough and Denaby Main will be read out and a wreath will be laid.

Following the service, the parade will return to the library where light refreshments will be provided.

The exhibition will be on the group’s own heritage landing at Conisbrough Library and will feature, as well as those who served in the forces, women who manufactured munitions, drove trams, worked as welders and served as nurses.

Heritage group member Barrie Dalby said: “We feel that it is important to show how the war changed the roles of women in society.

“The exhibition will also include local man John Bert Brocklesby, a lay preacher at Conisbrough Wesleyan Methodist Church, whose beliefs led to him becoming a conscientious objector resulting in his imprisonment at Richmond Castle as one of the Richmond Sixteen.

“These men, who bravely adhered to their principles by refusing to take any part in the war, were taken to France, court martialled for refusing orders and sentenced to death although their sentences were commuted to ten years’ hard labour.”

You can see the library exhibition tomorrow (1) from 10am to 3pm, Saturday from 10am to 1pm and Monday (4) from 10am to 4pm.