Arctic Witness

On Saturday 3rd August South Ribble Mayor and Mayoress Councillor Graham and Karen Walton officially opened the Arctic Witness exhibition.  

As the museum is comparatively young and we do not have many exhibits depicting the great war it was decided to think laterally and  take a different but closely related view of August 1914, as it also marks the centenary of Shackleton’s heroic Antarctic expedition. We are pleased to present the photographs of Frank Hurley depicting the expedition of  Earnest Shackleton.

Dr David Hunt with the Mayor and Mayoress of
South Ribble Councillor Graham and Karen Walton

Stephen Watson performed Great War pipe tunes
 ‘The Battle of the Somme’ and ‘Field of Flanders’ 
on the bagpipes to start the proceedings before piping
 in the Mayor and Mayoress.

 Museum Curator Dr. David Hunt introduced the relatives 
of John McNamara, a Walton le Dale born soldier who was 
awarded the Victoria Cross for his service during the
 conflict.

Among the visitors and guests were relatives of the 
Belgian refugees who took shelter in and around 
Leyland in 1914.

From 11am on Saturday the 16th and 23rd of August (and also by request at most other times) visitors will have the opportunity to see the fim 'South' the film record of Sir Ernest Shackleton's heroic but ill-starred attempt to cross Antarctica in 1914-16