An outing to Brighton Museum & History Centre - March 2009

By Lu Pearson

Portslade BME Reminiscence Group at the Brighton Museum

Photo from the WRVS Heritage Plus Archive

Members of the group looking at photographs and records

Photo from the WRVS Heritage Plus Archive

The group show their memory tree pictures

Photo from WRVS Heritage Plus Archive

The participants of the Portslade BME Reminiscence Group visited the Brighton Museum where a talk about Brighton's Royal Pavilion was given. This royal retreat was transformed by John Nash during 1815-1823 to the Indian style building that exists today.

Commemoration

The talk acknowledged the Pavilion's varied history and importance.  The group were able to look through photographs from the Museum's archive.  During the First World War the former royal residence was utilised as a hospital, treating wounded Indian and West Indian servicemen.  The fifty-three Sikh and Hindu Indian soldiers who passed were cremated, the site is marked by a marble memorial to them and their 12,000 wounded comrades who were treated at local hospitals.  The Chattri, which means umbrella in Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu, symbolises the protection offered to the memory of the dead. It is located on the Downs near Patcham.

Memory Tree's 

After the talk the group had lunch at a local Italian restaurant, near to the Museum.  The meal was thoroughly enjoyed by all!  At the restaurant the group showed their memory tree pictures, which had been made especially for the project.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to the Brighton Museum and Brighton Pavilion from their continual support.

The volunteer facilitators during the reminiscence sessions were Imogen Lycett Green and Gemma Crowther.

The sessions undertaken will contribute to a new book 'Crossing Continents' that will be published by early summer 2009.