Fun time at history event

Families joined members of Cumnock History Group at the Baird Institute in Cumnock recently to enjoy a day of fun and creative activities exploring the themes of the Pennylands Camp 22 - Hidden Histories of Ayrshire exhibition. Participants made badge moulds and sculpted toy cars from clay inspired by one of the actual 1940s excavated toy cars, thought to have belonged to an evacuee child who lived at the camp. And there was a special Explorers session on the day, based around the objects found at the camp and the lives of the evacuee children through drama, games and role play. As part of a programme of events at the Baird Institute in support of the exhibition, Bobby Grierson of Cumnock History Group presented a talk entitled Remembering the Past this Thursday, May 3, from 6.30pm to 7.30pm. Admission is free. Supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Pennylands Camp 22 - Hidden Histories of Ayrshire exhibition tells the story of those who lived and worked in and around Pennylands Camp 22, a former WWII POW camp situated in the parish of Auchinleck. Built as training facilities for the Tank Corps, Pennylands was also used as a transit camp for regiments and then a prisoner of war camp, housing German and Italian prisoners. On display are objects from archaeological digs of the site, extracts from oral history interviews and archival documents from the period. The exhibition will now run until Saturday, July 21 and admission is free.