An exciting art installation will take centre stage at this year’s Heritage Open Days in Oswestry.

Artist Olivia Winteringham is currently working with Oswestry Museum to create a bespoke letterbox with a flame of remembrance to bring to life the story of two Second World War soldiers – Gordon Bowsher and Gilbert Bradley – who found forbidden love during the war.

Bradley was stationed at Park Hall Camp from 1939 and more than 1,000 of their letters have now been bought by the museum thanks to its director, Mark Hignett.

The ambitious project will ask people to write letters of their own which will then be put into the letterbox and the ashes will be turned into a diamond ring which will be given back to the museum in February, next year, as a legacy.

Amanda Roberts, creative producer at the Heritage Open Days, said: “The commission is participatory in nature, and highly publicly engaged, reviving the art of letter writing through creative means.”

Ahead of the festival workshops will be taking place at the Marches School and Park Hall Countryside Experience, with a public call-out also going to residents and visitors to get writing.

It is hoped the letterbox can be placed at the entrance to the town’s Memorial Gates, where people can write letters during the festival. Members of Oswestry Town Council were due to discuss their thoughts on the placement at their meeting last night (Monday).