AN UNUSUAL museum swung open its doors to locals armed with war-time diaries, medals and historic photographs.

The Rumble Museum at the Cheney School held a digital collection afternoon in a bid to preserve stories, memories and objects connected to the lives of Oxfordshire women from the last centenary and fighters in the First World War.

It was the second time that visitors have been welcomed in to the first-of-its-kind museum to showcase heirlooms and antiques.

And this time, the Headington museum, which is the UK’s first to be partnered with a state school, teamed up with Oxford University.

The idea was that residents in the area would come loaded with memories, heirlooms and historical items, and the students – specially trained for the day by one of the university’s professors – would interview the owners, find out as much information as possible and research with another professional historian, before taking photos for two online archives.

To get the pupils at the secondary school geared up for the day, David Allton and Richard Townsley from the Frontline Living History group arrived before the event with original and replicas of war-time necessities.

They brought real guns, gas masks, helmets and a full set of surgical equipment.

Students from year 11, who are studying the history of medicine in their GCSE syllabus, learnt how both wars led to developments in what we use in hospitals today, and were told what would happen to a wounded soldier – before some were carried out on stretchers.

The queues were then welcomed in, and students manned the decks, from the welcome desk and the interview room, through to the digitising of the artefacts.

Locals brought with them heirlooms, including one man who showed the students a cross, a big frame, and letters written by his grandmother to his grandfather whilst he was fighting in the First World War.

Others showed medals, and presented photographs.

A spokesperson from the school said: “We are very grateful indeed to everyone who took part in this event and especially proud of our student team who worked tirelessly to process the items and welcome our visitors.”

All the artifacts and stories documented will be uploaded to Lest We Forget website – run by Oxford University for special items from the war – or the Rumble Museum Suffrage Season website – with stories about Oxford women from the last centenary.

Both websites will be free to use to anybody who wants to look at all the preserved items indefinitely.

For more information on the museum or the artefacts uncovered on the day, visit wf.web.ox.ac.uk/home