A LECTURE held in Aberystwyth last week has set communities across north and mid Wales buzzing with research into their own hidden histories about the over 4,500 Belgian refugees in Wales during the First World War.

The Wales for Peace-organised lecture by Christophe Declercq, hosted by the University of Aberystwyth International Politics Department, was well-attended and was described by author Jen Llywelyn as: “A great lecture – incredibly communicative,” adding, “I could have listened to him for hours. So much information has been hidden for so long.”

An expert on the Belgian refugees in the UK, Mr Declercq is linking his findings from Wales to research undertaken in Belgium.

He said: “There is still so much to uncover about the history of Belgian refugees during the First World War in Wales.

“The Welsh story also seems particularly fascinating given the links with artists, musicians and craftsmen and evidence that the refugees’ legacy is still being appreciated by the people of Wales today.”

During his visit to see the iconic ‘Black Chair’ of Hedd Wyn, Jess Enston showed Mr Declercq a photograph of the craftsman who carved the chair, Eugeen Vanfleteren, in the hope that further research into his background and his family can be undertaken in Belgium. Next year will be the centenary of Hedd Wyn’s death and the famous national eisteddfod at Birkenhead where he would have received the beautifully ornate chair.

The team at Yr Ysgwrn welcome any further background locals may have as they prepare for their big centenary year in 2017 but in the meanwhile a temporary exhibition can be seen at Plas Tan y Bwlch including a replica of the Black Chair and a colourful and imaginative exhibition by local schools supported by the renowned artist Luned Rhys Parri.

In Barmouth, Mr Declercq surprised Tim Dobson, of 8, Marine Gardens, with a knock on the door on the trail of a Belgian school that was held there during the Frist World War.

A visit to the local Catholic church also led to further local leads and more questions, as did the discovery of minutes of meetings from Barmouth at the National Library of Wales.

“I would appeal to all to check out www.walesforpeace.org and find a project that interests them in order to support this national initiative that aims to capture the impact of war as well as the peace heritage of Wales during the past 100 years,” he added.

See this week’s north editions for the full story, in shops and online on Wednesday