Smithy Heritage Centre

14/06/2026

Welcome to item 6 from this years exhibition......

This is a rare original wartime Siren suit made from a wool material with bakelite zip and buckle.

The original "onesie".

These were popular with both adults & children.
If the air raid siren went off at night you needed something quick and warm to put on before heading to your Anderson shelter dug into your garden.

The pattern is for a childs suit for you to make yourself with material from your clothing coupon ration.

Even Winston Churchill owned a few - the previous Lord Bath had a private Churchill collection (which we were lucky enough to be shown round by him) which contained a wonderful burgundy velvet one - complete with a repair patch on the front where he had fallen asleep with a lit cigar and burnt a hole into it !!.

30/05/2026

Welcome to item 5 from this years exhibition.......

This is a childs life jacket from the ministry of transport.

Most people know of the evacuation of children to safety during WW2 from city's at risk to the countryside.

What is not so well known is that in 1940 - 2664 children were evacuated by the "Childrens Oversea's Reception Board" (CORB) to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the US.

Unfortunatly this program was haulted quickly after the sinking of the "SS City of Benares" by a German U boat which led to the death of all the passengers including 77 evacuated children.

Over 10,000 other children were evacuated privetly by families who could afford it.

This little life jacket is one of those issued to children by the goverment during transportation - you have to wonder who that child was and what happened to them????

This item is on display at The Smithy Heritage Centre with a photograph of children wearing them.

23/05/2026

Congratulations Jo !!!.

Jo has been curator at The Smithy for a long time - her work with the Polish community is incredible......

We’re delighted to share that Joanne Chamberlain, The Atkinson’s Heritage & Participation Officer, has been awarded the prestigious Bene Merito honorary distinction by the Consul General of the Republic of Poland.

Jo has played a key role in bringing the stories and contributions of Sefton’s Polish communities to life through exhibitions, events and partnerships from wartime history to present-day culture.

Her dedication to connecting communities and celebrating shared heritage continues to make a lasting impact, and we’re thrilled to see her work recognised on an international level.

🔗 Read the full story here:
https://theatkinson.co.uk/news/joanne-chamberlain-bene-merito/ ‎

11/05/2026

On BBC2 now - "Children of the Blitz".
Goes nicely with this years exhibition.
(Also available on BBC on demand/catch up).

09/05/2026

Welcome to item 4 from this years exhibition......

Lovely original complete embroidery set for a badge for the "Royal Army Service Corps".
Things like this were very popular for people to buy and complete at home.
The sets came with an iron on embrodery transfer, the silks to use, and an instruction booklet.
Most girls had been tought sewing, knitting and embroidery skills by their mothers, grandmothers and even while at school.
Regimental crests or badges were popular subjects during the war as once completed could be framed and hung in the house to show which regiment your father, brother or husband was serving with.

The second picture shows an incomplete one we purchased (not framed) from an antiques fair in a bag of rags - who know's why this was never finished ???????? What story could it tell ?????

(If your wondering why the badges are slightly different the embroidery on the right without the word Royal is pre 1918).

19/04/2026

Lovely visitors today .......local couple with a visitor from Bulgaria - The Smithy goes international 🤣.

18/04/2026

Welcome to our 2nd & 3rd items from this years exhibition - "What no sweets?" - children in wartime.

This week we have chosen 2 items that go together.

It was popular both First & Second world war for people to make "copy" uniforms of the service or regiment the father was serving in for their young boys.

This wonderful Royal Marines jacket would probably fit a 2 or 3 year old.The matetial is a black wool. The brass buttons are real small Royal Marines buttons. The collar dogs are hand embroidered and the rank stripes are made from red felt and some haberdashery ribbon.

Item number 3 to go with it are a pair of Leather military pattern childs shoes.
These have never been worn and came in the original box.
These are also marked with the CC41 mark showing they were made under strict wartime goverment guidelines (more of this in future posts).

Enjoy !!!!

18/04/2026

Just to remind you the Smithy is now officialy open each weekend for the summer season.
We open 1pm to 4pm every Saturday & Sunday.

This years exhibition is "What no sweets??".
Children in WW2.

Look forward to seeing some of you.....

05/04/2026

Well 1st open weekend of the year and your 1st item from this year's display - "What no sweets ?".

Being Easter weekend this is perfect - no doubt many children (and adults) are tucking into Chocolate Easter Eggs.

Unfortunatly for wartime children they had no such luxury. The rationing of sweets & chocolate started in July 1942 and went on until February 1953.
This consisted of 2oz (50g) of sweets OR chocolate per week. This meant that Easter eggs became unobtainable.

Instead manufacturers produced - Easter Bunny Soap.........you can imagine how happy the children were... .. ......

These are 3 original's - i own a box full which were found in a shed along with other items - i can only assume belonged to a black market spiv. as soap was also added to the rationed list late war.

21/09/2025

The judges have deliberated and chosen a Winner and Runner-Up from the twelve delicious-looking entries, and the public vote for Best Decorated Cake has been totted up:

Best Decorated Cake - Jaine Riley for her Spiced Autumn Harvest Cake

Runner-Up - Gill Lea-Wilson for her Carrot Cake

Winner - Jaine Riley for her Spiced Autumn Harvest Cake

Christie Knox of WI St Helens and Councillor Michael Haw are shown here presenting the awards.

We would like to thank all the participants for their hard work, and Women's Institute St Helens for their wonderful support and lovely comments and words of encouragement in their feedback.