A SERIES of events to commemorate the centenary of the First World War will be staged at libraries across North Yorkshire.

The programme includes theatrical shows in several libraries and pop-up museum events at Harrogate, Pickering, Scarborough and Skipton, where people can take objects, documents and family stories to share and record.

The centenary has particular significance for the East coast, which took the first hit on British soil with the bombardment of Scarborough and Whitby in December 1914.

East coast libraries will also host talks by battlefield tour guide Trevor Boag which will examine the social and economic significance of the war.

There will also be a travelling display of textile arts by the 1914 -18 Commemorative Quilts and Textiles Group and memory gathering and recording events. Most libraries are also offering ancestry sessions so people can discover their wartime families and how they lived.

Libraries will display booklists of literature and poetry from or about the First World War and there will be talks by authors, poetry readings and reading group events in libraries across the county.

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for libraries, Councillor Chris Metcalfe, said: “This is a very special anniversary which gives us an opportunity to reflect on and learn from the past.”

For details, contact local libraries.