Snapshot of village life during the Great War goes on display at King's Somborne in Hampshire

Organisers of an exhibition in St Peter and St Paul’s Church say people are already travelling from far and wide to look at the artefacts documenting life 100 years ago in King’s Somborne and neighbouring villages.

Norman Denison and Mary Pollock from Somborne and District Society have put the display together.

Mr Denison said: “What we have tried to do is to paint a picture of village life during the Great War.

“We have lots of different photos of the village as it was during the First World War including pictures of rolls of honour which St Peter and St Paul’s was doing at the time.”

He added that the names of around 30 men from the village who died in the Great War appear on the community’s war memorial opposite the parish church.

Since the names were inscribed on the Edwin Lutyens designed monument to the fallen, another 20 names were recorded and all 50 or so men are remembered in an 80-page commemoration booklet called Somborne Remembers: The Parish and its servicemen in World War One.

Mr Denison added that visitors to the exhibition will be able to see various artefacts and memorabilia relating to the First World War on certain days only.

These include a Princess Mary gift box dated 1915, a copy of The Sphere 1914-15 annual, and a Boy’s Own annual from 1914-15.

“We’ve also got a trench periscope. It’s quite a crude little thing but it did the job,” said Mr Denison.

The artefacts are on show every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoon along with Saturday mornings until the end of August.

Also included in the exhibition is a special commemoration project by local schoolchildren telling the story of aviation pioneer Sir Tommy Sopwith who lived at Compton Manor in King’s Somborne. There is also a poppy pew cushion, cloth and tablecloth made by members of Somborne Needleworkers.