Bristol and The Great War

Why do we still remember The Great War of 1914 - 18? Because it still matters.

Whilst the physical impact on the city was nowhere near as great as that in the Second World War, The Great War (1914 – 1918) created its own kind of uncertainty for the people of Bristol. The impact of this First World War on the people of Bristol was more psychological than physical.

Many men went off to fight. Many did not return. Women stepped into traditionally male roles. There were huge implications for those who worked in shipping and at the Port of Bristol itself. We will learn of the crucial role Bristol played in provisioning the nation. We will hear the story of how Bristol docks played host to a captured German U boat.

Bristol has been associated with the aircraft industry from the very beginning and we will hear of the important role the workers in this new technology played in the war effort. There was often panic at the thought of actual attacks on Britain and genuine fear that Bristol would be bombed by the new Zeppelin airships.

The war years were a time of rationing and innovation. We will find out about the ingenious, but problematic, gas powered buses that were brought in to save precious fuel. We will hear the tales of families and individuals and how they coped with this most destructive of all wars, as it was at the time.

We will find out how the people of Bristol celebrated the armistice on Monday 11th November 1918. And our walk will finish at the Cenotaph, where we can pay our respects to the fallen.

This walk promises to be a moving experience of remembrance, and we will consider why remembrance still matters over a hundred years on from the end of The Great War.

A Walk in the Past is a friendly group where regulars and newcomers are always welcome. Our aim is to combine a good walk with pleasant company through historical landscapes.