THE Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire, Lt Col Patrick Holcroft, has opened a new exhibition at Worcester’s Guildhall, organised by Worcester Twinning Association.

Worcester and Gouzeaucourt, which runs until Saturday, traces the relationship between Worcester and the village it adopted after the First World War, when, conscious of the destruction which had been wrought along the western front, towns and cities in England raised funds to help with post-war reconstruction. 

The exhibition outlines the part played by Gouzeaucourt during the war, the scale of the devastation in the village and the work of the British League of Help for the Devastated

Areas under whose auspices the adoption took place.

It finishes with the help Worcester gave to Gouzeaucourt, including a water pump and petrol engine to enable them to reinstate the village’s water supply after their original supply had been poisoned during the war.

Liz Smith, chairman of Worcester Twinning Association, said: “It has been exciting to have had the opportunity to research this forgotten story in Worcester's past and I am delighted to bring the exhibition to the Guildhall so that many more people can share in it.

"In keeping with our twinning outlook this is a bi-lingual exhibition and we hope that it will help to maintain our friendships with our near neighbours across the Channel.

"I look forward to many people in Worcester coming to the Guildhall this week to enjoy it with us.”

The exhibition is in the Guildhall’s Court Room and is open every day until Saturday.