A BEWDLEY family which contributed personal items to the town’s First World War displays felt “ignored” during the official opening.

Members of the Watkins family loaned wartime photographs, medals and cups to the Bewdley Remembers exhibition, which is still open to the public at Bewdley Museum, but they are "unhappy" with the lack of recognition their efforts received.

The family claim they were not invited into the Mayor's Parlour for drinks alongside other special guests and are aggrieved their wartime bugle was not played during the launch ceremony.

Event organisers have responded by explaining any offence caused was “certainly not intentional” and that they were “very grateful” for the Watkins’ support.

Ted Watkins, 77, of Wassell Drive, said: “We are unhappy with how we were treated on that morning – it was quite embarrassing.

“My family thinks it was disgusting considering there wouldn’t have been an exhibition without our contributions.”

Julian Phillips, a district councillor and secretary of Bewdley’s World War I centenary commemorations steering group, which helped organise the event, explained: “I am very sorry if they felt snubbed and it was certainly not intentional or a personal slight on the Watkins family. We certainly intended to invite the family join in the reception in the Mayor's Parlour and if this didn't happen it was simply an oversight.

“We are very grateful for what the Watkins family have contributed to the exhibition and their support has been good for the museum and good for the town of Bewdley.

“It was decided to give the story of Jack Bishop - Bewdley’s youngest combatant killed in the war - prominence during the launch because it coincided with the release of a small book about him and his great-nephew had travelled from South Africa to attend the event.

“However the artefacts provided by the Watkins family have been given equal prominence in the exhibition and many, many people will have seen their contributions.”

Mayor of Bewdley Derek Killingworth, who attended the official opening on Saturday, July 19 alongside Wyre Forest MP Mark Garnier and Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, added: “We were time-limited and had a lot to get through and I am terribly sorry if the Watkins family felt disappointed.

“No disrespect was meant to them and of course the whole town of Bewdley is grateful for their contributions.”

Four relatives of Mr Watkins – his father Stan and three uncles Thomas, Arnold and George – all fought in the First World War. Thomas Watkins died in 1916 during combat in Ypres, Belgium, but all others survived the bloody conflict.

Artefacts and memorabilia from these war heroes were handed down to Mr Watkins over the years and these items are now an integral part of the Bewdley Remembers exhibition.