Poignant century-old Christmas secrets revealed in Leeds - including 'trench biscuit'

In 1914, stationed on the front lines of the First World War, his festive meal was so unpalatable that he decided to post it home to Leeds instead.

In a moving reveal by Leeds Museums and Galleries, a series of century-old "trench biscuits" has been showcased, offering a rare and humorous glimpse into the lives of Leeds soldiers during the Great War.

Originally issued as durable emergency rations, these biscuits were notoriously rock-hard and stale. Rather than breaking their teeth, many servicemen repurposed them as makeshift postcards to send messages to loved ones.

One of the most touching items in the collection at the Leeds Discovery Centre is a biscuit sent by Private William Maxwell to his mother in Meanwood. Still in its original wrapper, the 111-year-old snack bears a cheeky inscription, “Christmas dinner in the Army. ‘Give us this day our daily bread’ and please put a bit of butter on. From Max.”

Tragically, records show this was the only Christmas "Max" would spend in the trenches. He was killed in action in May 1915, just months after sending the biscuit. His brother, Arthur, had also been killed during the very first month of the conflict.

Kitty Ross, Leeds Museums and Galleries’ curator of social history, said: “That they would seemingly rather have used these biscuits to share a joke with their loved ones than eat them speaks volumes about both the quality of the food and how much they must have wanted to stay in touch at a time of year when they would doubtless have felt the distance between them more keenly than ever.”

A Festive Time Capsule

Beyond the wartime rations, the museum has welcomed several new donations that offer a vivid window into how Leeds has celebrated Christmas across different generations, often during times of significant personal or national hardship.

Among the most poignant additions is a 1960s "Cutie" doll, which serves as a powerful reminder of the city's social history and the charitable efforts that defined the era. The doll was gifted to a child named Denise in 1969, at a time when her family was experiencing homelessness.

It was provided through the Leeds and District Workpeople’s Hospital Fund’s annual festive appeal—a vital local lifeline that ensured no child went without a gift. Remarkably, the doll has been preserved alongside its original handwritten note from Denise’s parents, reading: “To Denise Xmas 1969, from mummy and dad,” an enduring testament to parental love during a period of crisis.

Joining the collection are also more whimsical pieces of mid-century nostalgia that capture the changing face of festive decor, including a rare set of vintage Mickey Mouse Christmas tree lights, reflecting the post-war boom of character-themed decorations, and a collection of vibrant glass baubles manufactured locally by Morley’s Briteglass Ltd.

These "Jay-Tee" brand decorations were a staple of Yorkshire households and were originally cherished by local couple Herbert and Maud Storer, who began their life together in 1944 during the final, lean years of the Second World War, and these decorations represent a lifetime of family Christmases spent in Leeds, spanning from the austerity of the 1940s to the bright, colourful celebrations of the decades that followed.

You can experience these festive stories in person at Leeds City Museum (open daily) or the Leeds Discovery Centre (pre-booked tours). The Discovery Centre operates on a "Give What You Can" basis—donations are welcome to help preserve the city's unique heritage.