Letters of Peace Encased in Time Capsule
and planted in the garden of Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre,
last home of World War I Prime Minister, David Lloyd George

On Sunday 24 September, a time capsule will be planted in the garden of Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre containing letters and poems of peace written by local children. The letters were composed by members of the Gwynedd Young People’s Writing Squad during a creative writing workshop led by poet Aneirin Karadog and author Sian Northey, and supported by Literature Wales.

The Squad members, aged 9 – 11, will plant letters and poems addressed to future generations. Their messages will be about the importance of peace in the context of the First World War, as well as more recent conflicts.

This event is part of a wider Literature Wales project, Cadwyn Heddwch (Peace Chain), funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund to commemorate a hundred years since the First World War. The project has so far engaged with 525 children in Gwynedd. As well as taking part in creative writing workshops, the children visited the Gwynedd Archive Services to research local characters who played a part in the war.

The time capsule will be buried in the garden at Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre in Llanstumdwy, the last home of David Lloyd George, who was the Arms and War Minister, and subsequently Prime Minister during the First World War. Lloyd George is known as the man who brought the war to an end, and was one of the key players in establishing the Versailles Peace Treaty. However, he was also at the forefront of a campaign to persuade young men to enlist in the army, especially in north Wales.

Following the creative writing workshop, the time capsule will be planted in the ground at 2.30 pm on Sunday the 24th of September. This event forms part of the official Open Day at Tŷ Newydd and members of the public are encouraged to drop by between 11.00 am and 4.00 pm for a visit.