Waging Peace in Lincolnshire: Then and Now

Exhibition Planned for Louth Museum June 2026

The Louth district was home to a celebrated group of conscientious objectors during the Second World War. At Holton cum Bickering (23 minutes’ drive from Louth) a farm was worked on by a group of pacifists. Close by was the RAF base at Wickenby. Pilots and pacifists got on remarkable well together! The exhibition will tell the story of Lincolnshire pacifists – alongside the story of the military bases – during the Second World War. And a contemporary focus will look at the activities of the peace movement currently in Lincolnshire.

The Hollywood actor Jim Broadbent (his father launched the theatre at Wickenby) grew up on the farm. Janet Sutherland also grew up on the farm with Jim and his sister, Julie Slavin. Janet’s father, Don Sutherland, a celebrated Lincolnshire pacifist activist and one of the original farm workers, died recently aged 103.

Ian Sharp, of Legsby, has written a play about the farm, Conchies, which was performed at the Broadbent Theatre, Wickenby, and later at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Ian and John Machin, who is writing a history of the peace movement in Lincolnshire, will join Richard Keeble in organising the exhibition.

It will also be brought up-to-date with a focus on the peace movement now active throughout Lincolnshire. For instance, in Louth a vigil is held every Friday to remember all those killed, wounded, traumatised, left homeless and jobless in the current terrible conflict in the Middle East. People sing, read poems (some of their own) or simply remain silent.

How you can help

Do you have experience of working with the peace movement (past and present) in Lincolnshire? Do you have items (pamphlets, posters, photographs, videos, caps, conference programmes, books etc) which we could display? Would you be prepared to be interviewed about your peace activities?

Contact Richard Keeble: rkeeble@lincoln.ac.ukrkeeble@lincoln.ac.uk

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