Waging Peace in Lincolnshire; Then and Now
July – October 2026
This unique exhibition curated by Prof Richard Keeble highlights the often unrecognised role of the peace movement in Lincolnshire (more commonly known as ‘Bomber County’).
One section focuses on Louth man Albert West who ended up editing Gandhi’s newspaper, Indian Opinion, in South Africa in the early years of the 20th century.
The section on WWI highlights the fact that, during this conflict, about 20,000 men across the county refused to fight on moral/religious grounds. Fenner Brockway, later a prominent Labour politician and leader of the World Disarmament Campaign, was held in isolation in Lincoln prison because of his anti-war stance.
Another panel, on WWII, explains how a group of Conscientious Objectors set up a peace farm near the villages of Holton-cum-Beckering and Legsby. Roy Broadbent, an architect and father of the actor Jim Broadbent, was one of the founders. The image shows a scene from 'Conchies' - the play by Ian Sharp. There is to be a reading of 'Conchies' at Spout Yard on Saturday June 13, starting at 6.30 pm, to help publicise the exhibition.
Other parts of the exhibition look at the spread of prisoner-of-war camps across the county (a much neglected aspect of WWII history), the many creative activities of peace groups during the Cold War. And it concludes with a panel on the vigils held every Friday (from 12 noon - 1pm) in the centre of Louth in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
