Herts at War website

[hertsatwar]

Hi all,

Just a quick line to mention our new website which has just 'gone live'. It can be found at http://www.hertsatwar.co.uk We would welcome any thoughts of feedback on the site, especially from people who share an interest in the subject.

To add some context, the idea is that over the next four years or so it will serve as both a forum and educational facility where people will be able to share their own stories and family lore with the wider community, research using the online archive we are currently building and in doing so, help re-tell the story of Hertfordshire during the great war (both at home and abroad).

We have launched the site to raise awareness of the upcoming non-profit project, which will feature educational outreach and a touring museum exhibition, and to give people the opportunity to learn about/become involved in Herts at War.

Any thoughts, comments or feedback are of course most welcome.

Thanks!

Dan

[Neil Mackenzie]

Good looking site Dan. Good luck with the project.

Neil

[centurion]

Site looks good but I suspect you've taken on a mighty task. Hertfordshire is such a diverse county. Although working abroad for many years my base was in Hertfordshire (Redbourne, St Albans, Harpenden and Kings Langley) but Tring in one direction and Ware in the other were strange places albeit in the same county! Best of luck -I think you'll need it.

[mickm]

I live in Hertfordshre. What did you find strange about Tring and Ware?

[Chester837]

Dan,

Good work on that site, very professional. Wish you all the best with the fund raising for the memorial. Have you approached the county council to see if they will stump up some cash, it doesn't seem too much to ask of them.

Cheers

[centurion]

I live in Hertfordshre. What did you find strange about Tring and Ware?

Only strange in comparison with St Albans and Harpenden which probably seem equally different to people from Tring and from Ware. I was merely pointing out that different parts of this strung out county are different from each other. My wife who was born and bred in St Albans and had a Herts accent had a different sound to people from Tring for example.

[hertsatwar]

Many thanks for taking the time to look at the site everyone. We are workign hard to build it up over the next few months especially for the launch of our Roll of Honour section on 5th November 2013. Centurion, you are quite right its is an incredibly big job! We are lucky to have so many people workign with us who all have the same goal of remembrance in mind. As a member of GWF personally for quite a few years now this has been one of the best places for knowledge and passion in the subject which we are trying to inject into the project to keep it pushing forward. Anyone wishing to be involved in any of the aspects of the project is of course most welcome.

Thanks Chester387, we are looking into that possibility at the moment and hopefully something will come of it.

Cheers Neil, any suggestions relating to the site are very welcome.

Thanks again,

Dan

[Charles Fair]

Dan, good to see the site up and running. Charles

[MichaelBully]

Had a quick look at the website, and wish you well with it. Comes over as very inclusive which was quite positive. Hope that the Herts war memorial comes off and thought it was a great initiative to start laision work with Langemarck-Poelcapelle council. Furthermore, I am a strong believer in making the most of local newspapers which you seem to be doing.

Am wondering if the website will also start to include Herts men who served in the Royal Navy and Airforce.

In regard of the Home Front, surprised to see that Women's lives in the Great War didn't have a section.

Viewing the section on Conscientious Objectors, had no idea that Herbert Morrison was a CO. An amazing find.

I've found from reading local papers of the time, I'm so often intrigued by the every day details of life in the Great War. The flag-days for different causes pre-conscription recuriting rallies,, licensing laws' impact, a workhouse inmates getting displaced to start a temporary hospital. women visibly in occupations previously held to be 'male', restrictions on lighting, possible shortages. extra church services, dances and other entertainment for local troops with special events put on for the wounded etc.

Regards

Michael Bully

[hertsatwar]

Hi Michael,

Many thanks for takign the time to looks at the site and thank you for your kind comments. We are continually updating it and probably have more information on since your last visit (including an initiative to republish local newspapers a century on in 'real-time' which you may find interesting.

Regarding the 'women in war' section that you refer to - we do actually have one, (and several others; VAD's, German POW camps and a couple more) that are currently under construction and therefore 'hidden'. We also have a lot more content due out soon including the start of the ROH section which will look into the 21000+ names on memorial throughout Hertfordshire. Do please keep checking back and thankyou all for your comments and time taken to reply. Any volunteering offers are of course very welcome

Herts at War Team

P.S. Hi Charles, Hope you are well! Please could you send me an email from your personal address as I seem to have only your (old) work one which keeps bouncing stuff back to me! (Dan)