WERE you living in Letchworth GC during World War II? If you were then Letchworth Arts Centre would like to hear from you. The Centre s 2010 major summer event will be a celebration of the part played by Letchworth GC residents during the war. The centre

WERE you living in Letchworth GC during World War II?

If you were then Letchworth Arts Centre would like to hear from you.

The Centre's 2010 major summer event will be a celebration of the part played by Letchworth GC residents during the war.

The centre is inviting people to give them their memories about the war years, either first hand or tales handed down from parents or grandparents.

The memories will be recorded in words and drawings by children from the town's primary schools who study World War II in Year 6 and will make it into a book that will be published and sold locally.

Helping them will be illustrator James Mayhew, who has agreed to conduct half-day workshops in schools when he will lead the children in examining the memories.

Following last year's hugely successful Industrial Heritage Festival the organisers were swamped with requests for a similar event in 2010.

Maria Iredale, chief executive of Letchworth Arts Centre, said: "We were fascinated to learn while we were organising the festival that Letchworth had contributed hugely to the war effort.

"So many local people were vital to the eventual victory, even when their factories were turned over to war production or by being in the armed forces or the Home Guard or even just digging for victory in their back garden!

"We'd love to hear from them or some younger people who were told tales by their parents or grandparents. It can be just a sentence or a longer story.

"And we are very fortunate that a renowned artist like James Mayhew has agreed to work with us. He's promised to teach the children new skills using exciting materials for the book."

The centre will be working alongside Letchworth Garden City Heritage Museum which is running a year-long project on World War II throughout 2010.

If anyone has a story they are willing to share there is an easy to complete form which can be picked up from the arts centre in The Arcade, David's Bookshop, The Heritage Museum in Norton Way South, Letchworth Library or the Tourist Shop at the Station Road corner of The Arcade, or you can ring the arts centre on 01462 670788 if you have a story to tell.