Interpreting the past at First Derry

Andrew Todd and Sarah Shiel, consultants with Tandem Design, who are specialists in creating interpretative spaces, won the tender for the 'Blue Coat School' interpretative centre and during their visit they met with church officials, local historian Frank Carey and members of the construction team currently on site.

The centre will be created at the rear of First Derry and will include a range of displays, artefact cabinets, an interactive area, audio-visual equipment as well as a 'dress-up area' where there will be robes that younger visitors can try on which would have been worn by children who attended the First Derry Blue Coat School.

Tandem Design has an impeccable track record in creating interpretative centres, according to First Derry Minister, Rev Dr David Latimer: "They are experts in heritage, history and culture and scoping out the way in which to connect with people through stories and at the end of a lengthy process involving about 12 applicants for this work, Tandem by far stood out and we have appointed them and they are starting today to formulate the key components of a story that I to be a vehicle which is going to allow our Catholic neighbours to be informed of where Presbyterians have come from, their role in the city, where their beliefs come from, what their high points and low points have been and how they in the past have been treated in ways that Nationalists feel thy have been treated since Partition."

Among the themes Dr Latimer wants woven into the 'First Derry story' are, The Troubles; the Penal Period and the story of how Presbyterians were treated badly by the establishment, including their ejection from St Columb's cathedral; their loyalty during the Siege, which led to a financial donation from Queen Mary, which allowed Presbyterians to build a church on the First Derry site, and the history of the church as an education provider.

"First Derry in its past has founded no fewer than five schools throughout this city at Ballyarnett, Ballymagroarty, Balloughry and then in the town there was the Blue Coat School which went on to become Fist Derry Primary School which was located at Stable Lane on the Walls. All of these represent and emphasise that Presbyterians have been fired with the desire to develop people's minds to allow them to be informed and beyond that the school at Ballyarnett was founded to equip rural people with the techniques associated with farming. It is an indication that Presbyterians were interested not just in people's souls, but in their whole being," he said.

The new centre will also feature the contribution the Presbyterian people of Londonderry made to the Great War.

"In every Presbyterian Church you willhave long lists of names of people who felt the need to support their country, defend it and be loyal to the Crown, and we are doing to develop this them because it is another corridor that connects us to our Nationalist neighbours.

"As the Cenotaph clearly shows, it wasn't just the Protestants who fought and died.

"It shows how much we have in common, and the more we do that the less likely we will be to attack each other, whether it is people's property or whether that is physically. We want to see a Presbyterian establishment, Meeting House and museum as part of the community," he said.