All of us will have special memories of 2012 that we will treasure for the rest of our lives. We will tell our grandchildren, nieces and nephews about the wonderful gold medal performances of David Weir, Mo Farah, Sarah Storey and Jessica Ennis; Bradley Wiggins becoming the first Briton to win the Tour de France and Andy Murray’s triumph in the US Open. The Diamond Jubilee was a time to honour the Queen for 60 years of sterling service, to bake cakes and get to know our neighbours better. Next year will also be a landmark year, but also a time to remember and reflect upon the sacrifices and service of millions of men and women in the worst conflict in living memory.
2014 marks the centenary of the outbreak of the first world war. The first world war was a horrific conflict, with no family in Britain left untouched by death, disease and disability. Nearly a million men died and 1.6 million were injured in the first world war, of which 41,000 men had limbs amputated.
It changed British society for ever. Three hundred thousand children never saw their father again. Women went to work in the civil service, factories, docks, munitions, tramways, post offices and farms. In July 1914 3.2 million women worked in industry; by April 1918 that figure had increased to 4.8 million, of which 40 per cent were married women, compared to 14 per cent before the war. In the postwar era the number of ‘surplus’ women increased from 670,000 to 1.7 million; in a society in which women were defined by marriage and children, these women had to create a different life for themselves. The 1917 Representation of the People Act for the very first time gave men and women over 30 the vote, although universal suffrage would not come until 1928.
It is incredibly important that the sacrifice made by a ‘lost’ generation is commemorated in communities across the country. Labour councils and councillors need to start planning now how to mark the centenary of the first world war, ideally on a cross-party basis. Local historical societies, friends of libraries, museums and cemeteries, local regiments, cadets, schools, older people’s organisations and residents associations will want to be involved and will have ideas and insights to share. The Imperial War Museum is coordinating the national programme, which will run from 2014 to 2018, and includes a major refurbishment of its own galleries.
In Lambeth we have already started preparing for 2014. This year’s mayor, Cllr Mark Bennett, will be chairing a cross-party group of councillors, members of the local community and local organisations such as friends groups, civic societies and local universities. Funding has been allocated from the council’s capital programme to restore the eight war memorials across Lambeth and consideration is being given to commissioning a new Commonwealth memorial for Windrush Square in Brixton. Proposed projects include gathering stories and ephemera of former family members who were members of the First Surrey Rifles, the British West Indian Regiment and the King’s African Rifles, a ‘local history of the home front in Lambeth’ publication and recreation of a field hospital in a local park.
It is incredibly important that the commemoration is done well. Many families will have parents and grandparents who fought in the war, some of whom will have died in the conflict, whose sacrifice they will want to remember. Whole communities will have been scared by the war; all the young men in town or village will have joined the same regiment and on days when casualties were very high whole communities will have been devastated – on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 19,240 men were killed.
Talking about the causes and impact of the first world war will send powerful messages to everyone in Britain about our values and the contribution that we all make to Britain as a nation. In recent years, many white working class people have felt that their values and traditions have been marginalised, and have felt increasingly alienated from the political class, which they feel no longer represents their interests. The reasons for this are complex but include changes in British society and culture.
Historically local authorities have played a vital role in opening up cultural institutions for all sections of society, with free public libraries, parks and public art galleries and museums in cities such as Birmingham, Liverpool, Glasgow and Leeds with impressive collections. In recent decades the focus of arts and culture has shifted to celebrating multiculturalism through the traditions and festivals of different ethnic communities. Such an approach has brought significant benefits and enjoyment to many people, but may have left some people feeling isolated. It is sometimes hard for people on the left to understand why the royal family continues to be so popular, but the Diamond Jubilee gave people a reason to celebrate British history and culture, as well as thanking the Queen for her service to her country. The centenary of the outbreak of the first world war also gives us the opportunity to reflect and remember the huge contribution made by our ancestors and for us to reach out into our communities.
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Sally Prentice is cabinet member for culture and leisure in Lambeth. She tweets @SallyPrentice
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