Q-Ships, Bantams and the lens of war: MK WFA seminar in Wolverton in October
The Milton Keynes branch of the Western Front Association is opening its doors at the Old Bath House in Wolverton on Saturday 3 October 2026 for a full day of First World War talks, displays and living history — billed as ‘A Great War Cornucopia’.
The programme ranges from the home front to the high seas.
Helen Frost will examine the experience of wounded soldiers repatriated for hospital treatment in ‘Convalescing at Cottesbrooke Hall’.
Major Charlie Barrett turns to the Royal Navy with ‘Q-Ships’ — the warships disguised as helpless merchantmen until a German submarine surfaced alongside them.
Nick Higham brings the camera lens to bear in 'Shooting the War: The Work of Pioneering Great War Photojournalist Ariel Varges’, covering Varges’s work as an official cinematographer to the British Army across Macedonia and Mesopotamia.
Michael Hughes will perform ‘The Last Bantam’, his one-man play on the Bantam battalions, told through the eyes of an Irish teacher caught between his homeland and the war.
Throughout the day, members of the Great War Society will be in RAMC and RFC uniform giving short talks and demonstrations alongside their equipment displays.
A Royal British Legion stall, a CWGC display, a second-hand book stall and a raffle round out the hall — so bring some cash. A buffet lunch and refreshments are included in the £30 ticket.
The Old Bath House is part of the former Wolverton Railway Works, a site with a story of its own. Wolverton Station is a four-minute walk from the venue, with regular buses from Central Milton Keynes and free parking on site. The day runs from 9.30am to 4.30pm. To book, email wfa.miltonkeynes@gmail.com.
WFA branches run seminars, talks and battlefield study days throughout the year. The full programme is listed on the WFA events page — well worth a browse.
