The Great Yarmouth Preservation Trust, Heritage Lottery Funded Stories of St. John’s project is holding an exhibition of research and creative activities centring around paper conservation, ancestral research and people’s memories at Great Yarmouth Library from Tuesday 23rd April – Wednesday 1st May 11am-2pm.
The heritage lottery funded project has conserved ten paper related items found at the disused Grade II listed Victorian Church in the possession of Great Yarmouth Preservation Trust since 2016. The church is located on an island between Lancaster Road and York Road, just off the seafront and was formerly the Beachmans church of Great Yarmouth. A small team of researchers have found details of around 120 local men listed on the recently conserved St. John’s World War 1 Roll of Honour and the project has engaged 100 students in research and creative activities related to the conserved items. Artefacts from the church, people’s memories, textiles from the St. John’s Kneeler project, the complimentary Community Textile Collage, Say it With Stitch GY and Street Level will also be on display to reflect St. John’s old and recent history.
In addition, a Special Event to celebrate 160 years of St. John’s Church in the community will be held on Wednesday 24th April from 11am-2pm at Great Yarmouth Library. This FREE event will be opened by local historian Dr. Paul Davies and will include.
Sea shanties from the Lowestoft Longshoremen to remember the fishermen and beachmen the church was built for in 1858.
Project researchers Tony Batley and Paul Payne will be on hand to discuss the extensive ancestral research of the people listed on the St. Johns WW1 Roll of Honour.
Visitors can look up their own ancestors in the comprehensive collection of eight leather bound GY WW1 War Books on display from the libraries archive with the library research volunteers.
Archivist Nick Sellwood from Norfolk Record Office will be at the event with some items of interest relating to research and paper conservation.
Photo Historian Paul Godfrey will be available for a friendly chat at his display featuring Great Yarmouth Beach Photographers.
Information from the Making Waves Together Great Yarmouth Rows and Scores Projects, led by Great Yarmouth Preservation Trust will be available with Rachel Harrison.
Kelvin Thatcher, the conservator of the old boat heads from the Venetian Waterways Project (stored at St. John’s whilst waiting restoration) will be on hand with the ‘fish head’ for a friendly chat about the restoration processes.
Peter Rodulfo will have two new pieces (below) on sale at the exhibition with some of the proceeds going to the St. John's fund, alongside the painting 'Returning the Elephants'.
Project Poster
If you would like to know more about this event please contact Stories of St. Jonn’s Project Co-ordinator Carol Desborough at Carol.gypt@gmail.com Find us on Facebook @St.John.GYPT and @Great Yarmouth Preservation Trust. #HLFEoE storiesofstjohns.
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