A new chapter is about to be written about the heroes of Fromelles.

The Time Machine has followed this story from the beginning when the bodies of  World War 1 soldiers were discovered in a mass grave at Fromelles in northern France in 2009.

Now an exhibition, organised by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which tells the story of the 250 men is to open at the Imperial War Museum London on July 1.

‘Remembering Fromelles: A New Cemetery for a New Century’ charts the construction of the Commission’s new Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery, the first to be built in 50 years.

It explains the poignant story of how 250 Australian and British soldiers came to be found, excavated and then reburied in a fitting and final resting place.

Using artefacts found at Fromelles, personal recollections of those who worked on the project and photographs from each stage of the recovery process, the exhibition charts the construction of the cemetery and sheds new light on a forgotten story of the First World War.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Fromelles Project Manager David Richardson said: “This has been an incredible project to work on over the past two years.  The building of a new Commission cemetery is something I never thought I would see, but as it nears completion, its tranquil beauty is, I believe, the finest honour we could have paid these men.”

Remembering Fromelles: A New Cemetery for a New Century also details the painstaking and complex work to identify the soldiers.  Many of the DNA testing techniques, which were used alongside historical and archaeological evidence, have set new standards in the field of forensic investigation.

The exhibition opens as the Fromelles project reaches its conclusion, with the dedication of the new Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery taking place on 19 July 2010.  Echoing the traditional design of cemeteries built after the Great War, this new cemetery will give the soldiers of Fromelles the dignity in death denied to them for nearly a century.

Helen Steed, a relative of one of those soldiers identified at Fromelles said:  ”I have been overwhelmed by the determination shown by so many people to recover my grandfather and his comrades, and have them properly buried in a new, purpose-built Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery.”

The exhibition, which is free of charge to visit, runs until January 2011.  It is accompanied by a book of the same title which serves as a commemorative publication to these men and the sacrifice which they made.

The height of British naval power is remembered in a new exhibition at Hartlepool Art Gallery.

‘Fighting Ships’ – which runs until Saturday 28 August – explores how Britain’s warships during the reign of King George III were depicted in art and how that led to the emergence of a distinctive national style of maritime painting.

The exhibition has been arranged to coincide with Hartlepool’s hosting of The Tall Ships Races 2010 and its Georgian celebrations.

The display features items from Hartlepool’s permanent art collection, including works by John Wilson Carmichael and Frank Henry Mason, plus important maritime paintings on loan from other collections.

A particular highlight is ‘The Royal Visit To The Fleet’ – painted by Dominic Serres in 1774 and depicting King George III inspecting the Royal Navy – which forms part of the Royal Collection and has been graciously lent by Her Majesty The Queen.

Also featured are two items from the Tate Gallery – Thomas Whitcombe’s depiction of the 1797 Battle of Camperdown between the Dutch and the British and ‘The Battle of Trafalgar 1805’ by Clarkson Stanfield, and items are also on loan from Tyne and Wear Museums and Archives.

Adding to the flavour of the exhibition are several period weapons from Hartlepool’s own collection, including a Flintlock Sea Service Pistol, which was much used in the Napoleonic Wars from 1793 to 1815, and a Flintlock Blunderbuss from Georgian Times.

There is also a highly-detailed scale model of Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory, built and lent by retired Hartlepool shipworker George McKie.

Jean-Philippe Stienne, Collections Access Officer for Hartlepool Council’s Cultural Services section, said: “British naval power was at its peak during the reign of George III, including the exploits of Nelson during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and, of course, the victory at Trafalgar.

“Artistically, this period saw the emergence of a distinctly English style of marine painting which was quite different from the Dutch school which had dominated most of the 17th century.

“People wanted to share in the triumph of Britain’s glorious naval victories, and what better way than to commission a painting of one of the dramatic scenes.

“Many of the marine artists of the time had already spent years serving at sea in the Navy, so they were extremely well-placed to satisfy this national surge in patriotism.”

Admission to Hartlepool Art Gallery, in Church Square, is free and the gallery is open Tuesdays to Saturdays 10am-5pm. During the Tall Ships celebrations it will be open 10am-7pm from Friday 6 to Monday 9 August. For more information call 01429 869706.

* Hartlepool expects to welcome up to a million visitors and about 70 Tall Ships for the finale of The Tall Ships Races 2010 from Saturday 7 August to Tuesday 10 August.

For more information about The Tall Ships Races 2010, log onto www.hartlepooltallships2010.com <http://www.hartlepooltallships2010.com/>  , call 01429 523636 or e-mail tallships@hartlepool.gov.uk

English Heritage’s historical archive catalogue is now available online.

Workers at Osram glassworks, Newcastle Upon Tyne, the gateway of Bishops Place, Bishop Aukland, Blagraves House, 30-32 The Bank, Barnard Castle and the Chimney of Pease’s Mill in Darlington are among regional images featured in the archive.

Details of the wealth of historical material the archive holds – images, plans, drawings, reports and publications covering England’s archaeology, architecture, social and local history – is held on a database which can now be accessed and searched online at www.englishheritagearchives.org.uk. Until now, these searches had to be done in person at the NMR’s public search rooms in Swindon.

Using a range of search terms, users can discover whether English Heritage holds any items in its archive relevant to the topic they are interested in, mainly photos, but also including maps, plans or reports.

For example, using the search word “Stroud” in Gloucestershire will yield 73 catalogue items relating to the town. You can even search for a type of building, like schools or churches, or for an exact address.

Each catalogue item consists of a description and users can place orders online. A small percentage of the description is illustrated.

Registration is free, but customers will be charged for the documents they ordered and prices vary.

Alternatively, users can contact Enquiry and Research Service on 01793 414 600 or email nmrinfo@english-heritage.org.uk to place an order or ask for help if they cannot find what they are looking for.

Happy browsing.

Consett’s past is to be brought back to life at the weekend.

From 10am to 3pm memorabilia, old photographs and reminiscences will be in excellent supply at the event taking place at Park Keeper Cottage at Blackhill.

Organisers are hoping it will kick-start a resurgence of interest in preserving the area’s special local history.

Heritage Initiative member Brian Harrison said: “This locality has a very special history and we want to build up an archive in the cottage premises at Blackhill that will be on show on a semi-permanent basis.

“We are currently unpacking the artifacts and material that has been kept in storage from the Shotley Bridge Heritage Centre and we want people to share their memories with us. We can make copies of old photographs if anyone wants to bring them along on the day. There’s a great deal of interest in the past spurred on by TV programmes such as ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ and we want to capitalise on that for future generations,” he said.

Above right – the RFC in Consett circa 1914

The second world war continues to cast a long shadow as locals from Johvi in Estonia discovered.

It concerned a scene witnessed by a local boy in September 1944 who noticed tank tracks leading into a lake and then saw air bubbles coming to the surface over a period of time.

Many years later he passed on to the information to the history club and diving expeditions were organized to the bottom of the lake. At the depth of seven metres they discovered the tank resting under a three metre layer of peat and decided to pull it out.

From February to September 1944, heavy battles were fought in the narrow,50 km-wide, Narva front in the north-eastern part of Estonia . Over 100,000 men were killed and 300,000 men were wounded there.

During battles in the summer of 1944, the tank was captured from the Soviet army and used by the German army. (This is the reason that there are German markings painted on the tank’s exterior On 19th September, 1944, German troops began an organized retreat along the Narva front. It is suspected that the tank was then purposefully driven into the lake to conceal it when its captors left the area.

What emerged from the lake after over 60 years was a 27-ton WWII Russian built T34/76A tank with German markings – a trophy tank – captured by the German army in the course of the battle at Sinimaed (Blue Hills) about six weeks before it was sunk in the lake.

Some 116 shells were found on board and remarkably, the tank was in good condition, with NO RUST, and all systems (except the engine) in working condition.

Even so, after all that time, a little tinkering here and there, and the diesel engine fired up.

It is a very rare machine, especially considering that it fought both on the Russian and the German sides. and a full restoration has taken place to allow the machine to go on display at a war history museum.

People on the family and local history trail are invited to step back in time at a special event next month.

The Derwentside Local and Family History Fair will be attended by over 20 groups and organisations offering expert help to uncover the past.

The fair is being organised  by Annfield Plain Family History Society and guest organisations will include the Durham University Library, North East War Memorials, the Chester-le-Street Heritage Group and Beamish Museum.

Society secretary John Milburn said: “There’s never been more interest in researching the past thanks to TV programmes about tracing your family history and the release of huge amounts of information. A lot is now available on the web if you know where to look.

“We have experts from all over the north east attending the fair and they will be able to help anyone wanting to know more about their roots or that of their local communities.

“This is the first fair we have held but there is a lot of interest being generated,” he said.

So start digging out those old photographs and documents and you could be amazed at where they will lead.

The history fair takes place Craghead Village Hall on April 10 from 10am to 2pm.

Further information is available from the family history society at annfieldplain_fhs@yahoo.co.uk or from John on 0790 3772 965.

Turning back the clock: Annfield Plain Family History Society members (l-r) Judith Owens, John Milburn and Jim Padgett prepare for their local history event.

The names of 75 WW1 Australian soldiers killed at the Battle of Fromelles in 1916 have been confirmed.

While they could not be named individually, three British soldiers were confirmed to be among the 250 men recovered from the mass graves at Pheasant Wood and 128 were confirmed to have served the Australian Army.

The remaining 44 are, for the time being, classified as ‘unknown’.

Veterans Minister Kevan Jones said: “Identification is a challenging task and this has been no exception. We are disappointed that there was insufficient evidence to name British soldiers but I would like to thank the families for the support that they have all given to this project.

“What is most important is that these men have all been laid to rest with the dignity and honour they deserve. The identification process will remain open for another four years, and I hope that families will continue to make contact.”

The number of soldiers that have been identified exceeds the most optimistic forecasts.

Each of the 250 sets of remains that were found have been analysed using all available historical, anthropological, artefact and DNA evidence. For those who have been identified so far, DNA proved to be a key piece of the identification puzzle.

A Joint Identification Board, with members representing the British and Australian Governments, considered the available evidence including DNA from the soldiers’ remains and from the families who came forward.

The Board will reconvene in May to consider additional family samples that have only recently been returned from Australia. Additional testing will ensure that as many soldiers as possible are identified before a commemorative ceremony on July 19 that will mark the official opening of the new cemetery.

The full list of names of Australian servicemen who have been identified is available on the Fromelles Project web site www.cwgc.org/fromelles

The remains of 250 World War 1 soldiers killed in the 1916 Battle of Fromelles were recovered last year and reburied with military honours at a new military cemetery constructed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

The story of a post office worker, decorated in WWI was just one of the many intriguing tales that unfolded as medal enthusiasts looked into the past of the region’s war heroes.

The medals had been passed down to Julia and, keen to learn more, she took them along to experts Kevin Storey, Roy Tate and Michael Foster who were on hand at the Durham County Council run museum.

“The medals were passed down through my family and because I was keen to research the family history my mother (pictured) gave them to me. My grandfather was with the Northumberland Fusiliers but we knew he was linked to the DLI. The experts were able to confirm that the regiments were, more than likely, decimated and those left of the Fusiliers were placed with the DLI.

“We were able to find out the medals were given as a result of a battle at Villers-Bretoneaux, which occurred near the Somme in April 1917. We previously hadn’t known this and I have since been able to download the medal card from the National Archives, which will hopefully enable me to find out more,” she said.

More than 100 people turned up to the first of three ‘Medals day’ events taking place at the museum in Durham.

Visitors can also get hands on with the museum collections on Thursday, February 18 and Saturday, February 20, during the half term school holidays, between 1.30 and 3.30pm.

For more information log on to: http://county.durham.gov.uk/sites/dli/Pages/MuseumEvents.aspx

History lesson: Audrey Wright (left) and daughter Julia Mann look at family medals with Mike Foster at DLI Museum.

* Roy Tate and Michael Foster are members of the Northumbria Medal Society and have studied medals for 30 years and 20 years respectively.
Kevin Storey is secretary of the Durham Light Infantry Association and has also studied medals for 30 years.

Organised by North Tyneside Council, participants can take a step back in time and explore the fascinating history of the borough, including Roman times, coal mining and shipbuilding.

They will also be able to check out some of the borough’s landmark buildings, learn about fascinating local characters and find out more about the famous Fish Quay.

The Wallsend heritage walk will take place on Saturday March 13 at 11am, while the other two town centre tours will be on Saturday 27 March.

The Whitley Bay walk will begin at 11am and the North Shields tour will start at 2pm. Meeting points will be disclosed at the time of booking a place.

Spaces are limited and pre-booking is essential. The duration of each walk is approximately one hour. For further information or to book a place, please contact TEL: (0191) 643 7409.

The heritage walks form part of the council’s commitment to support town centre businesses.

Julia Soares-McCormick models one of her renaissance creations

“But Elizabeth is yours. Watch her as she grows; she’s yours. She’s a Tudor. Get yourself a son off that sweet pale girl if you can – and hope that he will live”.

Passionate words delivered by actress Genevieve Bujold, as she plays the role of Anne Boleyn in the 1969 film Anne of a Thousand Days.

Watching the performance on film is a very young lady, totally engrossed in the performances of Genevieve and her co-star Richard Burton and the romance and beauty of the gowns, sets and costumes used in the production.

From that moment, Julia Soares-McCormick’s interest and fascination in period costume would fire career ambitions and a passion to recreate the past, specifically the beauty, form and structure of designs direct from the Tudor catwalk.

Am I setting the scene? Let’s travel back in time.

Julia Soares-McCormick

The journey started when Julia started winning first prizes for art and design at school, skills that were later honed at Sunderland and Nottingham Trent University from where she graduated with a BA (Hons) in Theatre Design.

“Working from conception on projects in theatre and set production, I became engrossed in designing sets, costumes and setting the scenes historically and was part of the team responsible for My Fair Lady at Haymarket, Leicester,’ she said.

Now working part-time at Northumbria University, Julia is devoting more time to recreating fashion designs from the past and has set up her own business, Renaissance Costumes, to showcase and promote her extraordinary skills.

The research is painstaking before a single stitch is sewn. Julia uses portraits of Tudor notables such as Anne Boleyn to help lay the foundations of her creations. Inspiration also comes from sumptuous productions such as the Six Wives of Henry VIII and more recently, Elizabeth I and The Other Boleyn Girl.

Attention to detail is everything from the Farthingale, a six hooped petticoat using materials that are as closely matched as possible, to the chemise and corset worn underneath, followed by the garments worn on top.

Historically, cheaper materials were used for the petticoats and luxurious and more expensive silks and satins would be used for the underskirt seen at the front of the gown. This material would be also be used to match the sleeves. In fact ladies would often be given sleeves as a present.

Julia hand stitches semi-precious stones such as lapis lazuli and pearls onto the second underskirt and the matching materials on the hanging sleeves. A choice of at least 35 different designs of sleeves could have been used during this era. Layer upon layer is added until the dress is ready.

This is then followed by brooches, jewellery and necklaces all lovingly crafted from those depicted in portraits. Elizabeth I as a 13 year old, painted in 1546 and a Holbein of Queen Jane dating back to 1536 are among those to have provided information and inspiration.

Some of Julia’s finest creations were recently given an outing in all their glory at Crook Hall in Durham. Steeped in history itself the ambience of this wonderful place was the perfect location and who is to say that similar fashions have not graced the residence at some time in the past.

Julia, who did the modelling on this occasion, too, said: “I love the feeling I have when I put on the costume. The designs and corsetry can completely change the shape of a woman and I am transported right back in history when I wear them. It’s sheer indulgence”.

Click on any thumbnail photos below to see the enlarged version…

Now she wants to secure design commissions for theatre, film and television. She is also very happy to visits schools, lecture, display her costumes and would like to design and make wedding dresses based on historical gowns.

And of course, if you are ever stuck for something to wear at a Masquerade Ball….

For more information Julia can be contacted at: julia.renaissancecostumes@googlemail.com

Click on the panel below to see Julia’s renaissance fashion show at Crook Hall in Durham.