STAFF at Thurrock Museum are creating a front room and kitchen of a house somewhere in Thurrock during Christmas time 1914.
It is all as part of their long-term project to record Thurrock’s Great War history.
Keep the Home Fires Burning – a song written by Ivor Novello in 1914 – utilises a blend of real and replica items showcasing a time of concern and continued poverty in the district (soup kitchens had been set up in Grays High Street two years earlier).
Visitors to the display will see a front room setting with fireplace, furniture and handmade decorations for the Christmas tree, plus presents for the family and games of the time.
The exhibition also includes a kitchen scene with a cooker, pots and pans with meal recipes and food preparation.
The display includes an exhibition on the situation in Thurrock with casualty lists, prices of food and commodities from local shops.
One feature will be around the music of the time; what were the top ten tunes and songs for 1914?
Additional features include the Christmas Truce in the trenches and the Princess Mary Christmas box present to servicemen.
This is set at a time of realisation that the war was not going to be over by this Xmas, and in the song the families of Thurrock were still waiting for the boys to come home.
The museum volunteers will be on duty to talk about the displays and record any memories you might have of relatives who participated in war work within Thurrock or in the services.
The exhibition runs from Wednesday, 17 December to Friday, 19 December in the ground-floor gallery at the Thameside complex in Orsett Road, Grays and is open from 10am to 4pm each day.
