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Taste The Trench

GLOS100 & GL3HUB

'Taste The Trench' event took place on the 25th August 2018 as part of GlosReto Weekend.

Our WW1 Part was set up outside Gloucester Shirehall on Lower Westgate Street with aims to:

  • Raise donations for the 'Combat Stress' Veteran's Mental Health Charity
  • We managed to raise a total of £271.28 from the Raffle, Poppy Remembrance Garden and the Combat Stress Information Table

    Thankyou Letter from Combat Stress
  • Follow a theme of the Centenary Commemorations of WW1 2018
  • To strengthen networks with local military units, their families and GL3HUB Services
  • Promote learning impacts of WW1
  • To promote the profile and support that GL3HUB can offer communities in the Local Innsworth and Churchdown estates

The 'Taste The Trench' set of displays and fundraising raised £270 for 'Combat Stress'.

Funding will be going to support the Veterans to access mental health support.

Over 200 Hours of Volunteer time was building the Trench and Artwork for the Graffiti Wall.

The ‘Taste The Trench’ is a mobile, wooden trench, the majority of which was made from donations of wood materials from 'Cheltenham Fencing’. Other donations came from International Plywood Ltd (Innsworth Industrial estate).

Graham and Alex, from Cheltenham Fencing, were extremely helpful in supporting this 'Taste The Trench’ concept with donations of fence panels, pallets and posts for the ‘mock barbed wire'.

Logo for Cheltenham Fencing

Pictures on this page show the Trench, which was adapted to recreate the type of fortified trenches that Soldiers of Gloucestershire may have fought in 1914-1918.

The 'No Man’s Land' Graffiti Wall was jointly decorated by a local artist Tim, veterans from ‘Alabare’ and the local youth group from the GL3HUB Community Centre. Eight 8x4 foot Plywood Sheets were donated by International Plywood Ltd based in Innsworth Industrial Estate (see attached pictures).

Handmade Poppies were made by Young Children from the GL3HUB Youth Club, which were bought via donations and attached with messages, planted in front of the Graffiti Wall.

Also, a Senior Citizen who had been attending the Age UK service at the GL3HUB Community Centre made and decorated nearly 80 Love Hearts with these too being exchanged for donations and people could hang them on a ‘Burnt Tree’. The ‘Burnt Tree’ symbolises the trees shredded by shell fire in ‘No Man’s Land’ between the Trenches.

Additionally, one of our volunteers Lynne supported children in a colouring competition with a selected WW1 colouring sheets will be added to the 'GLOS100' WW1 Exhebition to be held at the Guildhall Gallery 6th-22nd September.

A Medal Hunt was organised for Children that included going to shops in Lower Westgate Street (link to the Medal Hunt forms).

Four winners of the Medal Hunt were selected to have Miniature WW1 and Victoria Cross medals.

Year 7 & 8 Pupils from Chosen Hill School produced a ‘Weeping Poppy Sculpture’ with WW1 Poems composed by the pupils, which were laid down the steps of Gloucester Shirehall.

A Raffle was arranged with Donated Raffle Prizes from volunteers of the 'Taste The Trench' event and shops on Lower Westgate Street: Cookes Coffee & Curiosity, Hedley's Cafe, West 78 Hairdressing, Avant Garde Hairdresser and Mark Blake Hair Salon.

Mr Page and Mr Ridler (Gloucester WW1 Memorabilia Collector @ Upstairs Downstairs near the Gloucester Quays) both brought WW1 Uniforms and Memorabilia for people to chat to and learn about the life of those in the Great War. Especially Mr Page (teacher from Parton Mannor Junior School) who dressed in full French WW1 Uniform.

Additionally, friends of Mr Mark Partridge attended with three friends who dressed in WW1 Uniforms and had a also display of a great selection of equipment from the Royal Flying Corps.

The next GLOS100 event is planned to display the 'No Man's Land' Graffiti Wall and other WW1 linked Art at the Gloucester Guildhall 6th-22nd September 2018.

Talks on the Impacts of WW1 will take place on Saturday 22nd September 10.00-12.00 at the Guildhall, Gloucester.

"On behalf of the GL3 Community HUB, the general public, the Veterans and some very generous local businesses, I would like to say ‘thank you’ to all the Companies and Individuals for their contributions, good spirit and good humour!" - Chris Auker-Howlett

Finally, a tremendous 'Thank You' goes to all the Volunteers who made this day such a success! We could not have achieved any of this without their support in helping to transport, assemble, disasseble and manning the event tents, stalls & Trench.

Special thanks goes to Glenn at The Fairview Gardener for the loan of their van!

Picture of volunteers

Event Poster

Event Flyer for the Taste the Trench Event

Event Sponsors

Picture of International Plywood Ltd Innsworth Logo

Logo for Cheltenham Fencing

GL3 Hub Logo

Fairview Gardener Logo



Picture of the poppy wall created by pupils at Chosen Hill School, Churchdown, Gloucester

Weeping Poppy Wall

Picture of a member of the public in the Trench

Ariadne in the Trench

Picture of a member of the public in the Trench

Ariadne in the Trench

Mark from Alabare Marching Out

Picture of WW1 information board

WW1 Information Board

Picture of Gloucestershire Regiment Memorabilia

Gloucestershire Regiment Memorabilia

Picture of Chris Auker-Howlett in front of his WW1 Graffiti Wall and Poppy field and burnt out Memorial tree

Memorial Garden

Picture of a member of the public dressed in 1940's American Uniform, sitting on a bench with his beau

American 1940's uniformed solider with his beau

Picture of Combat Stress Donation Table

Combat Stress - Donation Table

Picture of Volunteers on the Poppy and Knitted Hearts memorial garden table

Poppy Garden Table

Picture of two WW1 soldiers saluting in the trench

Soliders in the Trench

Picture a volunteer dressed in WW1 Nurses uniform who facilitated the creative arts tent

Creative Arts Tent

Picture of two WW1 Soldiers defending their trench

Soldiers defending the Trench

Picture of a Chris Auker-Howlett dressed up in WW1 German Uniform

Undercover Kaiser

Picture of two British WW1 Soldiers capturing a German Soldier

Captured German Soldier

Picture of a young boy dressed up in WW1 uniform in the trench

A young recruit!

Picture of the WW1 Raffle Prizes Stall

Fundraising Raffle Tent

Picture of some of the general public in the Trench

Members of the public in the Trench

Picture of Westgate street during the event

View of Westgate Street

Picture of the 1914-1918 Army Air Corps Tent

Army Air Corps Tent

Picture Mark Page dressed in WW1 French Army Uniform

Mark Page dressed in French WW1 Uniform

Picture of a young member of the public in the Trench

Young member of the public in the Trench

Picture Chris Auker-Howlett dressed as a German Officer and Janet Murden, event volunteer

Chris AH (organiser) and Janet Murden (volunteer)

Picture of Connor Auker-Howlett (event volunteer) in the Trench

Connor Auker-Howlett - Event Volunteer









Plywood UK Logo linking to website Guildhall Gloucester Logo linking to website Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum Logo linking to website GL3 Community Hub Logo linking to website Severn Vale Housing Logo linking to website Alabare Logo linking to website