Exhibition
The Fairlie’s Men Of The Great War exhibition ran from Saturday, 27th June to Sunday, 5th July, 2015 at Fairlie Village Hall, with photographs, documents, campaign maps and memorabilia. In addition to information about the men, there were banners about the war in Fairlie, thanksgiving and remembrance, Fairlie Boy Scouts (many of whom served) and Lt. Gen. Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston of Hunterston. The exhibition also featured a slideshow of photographs from Gallipoli and the Somme narrated with extracts of letters sent home by Ian McLachlan and Charles Grant Tennant, and picture displays of life as a prisoner of war, the war in the desert and Fairlie then and now.
The exhibition was re-mounted in 2017 for the 125th anniversary of the Village Hall, and in 2018 to commemorate the centenary of the end of the Great War.
Comments (taken from the exhibition Visitors’ Book):
“A huge treat – well worth coming from London. A model of how this should be done and a fitting tribute to my grandfather, great uncle and all their comrades”
“An engrossing exhibition, and a revealing insight to our villagers and their legacy after they joined the Great War. Well done the Community Association”
“Fascinating to see how the visual representation has thrown light on the lives commemorated on the Roll of Honour”
“A graphic portrayal of the horrors of war endured with bravery almost beyond understanding by “Fairlies Men Of The Great War”.
Congratulations and thanks to those who undertook the exhaustive research and created a lasting testament for future generations”
“Outstanding memorial, professionally presented. A really valuable record for future generations.”
“Blown away with the work put in, very well done”
“Very interesting presentation and slideshow. Well done on all the hard work”
“Fantastic work, well researched, and a poignant reminder of the sacrifice”
“What a fantastic exhibition, so well researched and presented, well done to all involved. I learnt a lot about the village and what it was like here then, and the sacrifices these men made”
“We were very impressed with all the hard work that has gone into researching the lives of the men who were involved in WW1. A very impressive display of photographs, artefacts and memorabilia. Well done to all those responsible”
“What a lot of work has gone into a very, very interesting exhibition. Hopefully the history of these men and women will never be forgotten now”
“A great deal of work and effort put into this exhibition, well presented and informative. Family members in WW1 so pleased that the valiant efforts of the Fairlie men et al are recognised. Many thanks to all concerned”
“What a huge amount of work has gone into this project which we found both fascinating and moving. A truly fitting memorial to those who gave their lives, youth and health a century ago”