Helen Baker Uncovering the stories of Richmond WW1 at Orleans House Gallery

Helen Baker ... Uncovering the stories of Richmond’s World War One Refugees

The substantial community of First World War Belgian Refugees who were centred around the Pelabon Munitions Works in East Twickenham have became almost entirely lost from the Borough’s memory.

Historian Helen Baker tells of the fascinating journey to re-create the lost stories of this community, initially from a fleeting oral tradition and then by research through the internet and within archives in the UK and Belgium. She will discuss the frustratingly fragmented nature of the surviving material and explain how the story has needed to be pieced together – much like a jigsaw.

As well as reflecting on the literary process in completing current and future publications, Helen Baker will also illustrate the way of life of this fascinating community with a collection of graphic contemporary photographs.