Commemorating the Battle of the Somme in Morecambe

On July 1 it will be 100 years since the beginning of the Battle of the Somme, one of the largest battles of the First World War fought by the British and the French against Germany.

‘Searching for Matthew’ is a one act play based on the true story of soldier Matthew Livesey, who was killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme in 1916.

In August 1920 his sister, Lizzie, woman’s search set out to try to find his grave.

Lizzie, who lived in Bamber Bridge, near Preston, kept a detailed journal of the places she went, the people she met and the sights she saw as she travelled across No Man’s Land and from one cemetery to another, searching for Matthew’s grave.

Andy Bennison’s production, based on Lizzie’s own journal written in 1920, tells the story of two journeys – Lizzie’s trek across war-torn France and her own emotional journey as she came to terms with the loss of her brother.

It also includes her poetry and photographs.

The event takes place on Wednesday June 22 at 7.30pm and is followed by a fil from the Imperial War Museum.

Tickets cost £5 and are available online at www.lancaster.gov.uk/platform or from the box office on 01524 582803.