Page 28 - Thrapston Life August 2022

GLANCE
AT THE
PAST
Eric Franklin looks back
Advertised on 5th March 1909 in the Lincoln, Rutland and Stamford Mercury and comprising ten tableaux,
the village of Aldwincle
was in that year the venue
of a large-scale pageant of Northamptonshire’s history. In total, ten scenes were enacted comprising:
1. A series of children in tableaux representing
the different seasons.
2. Hereward the Wake.
3. King John and Thrapston.
4. The two churches of Aldwincle.
5. The Court Leet of 1380.
6. The Battle of Northampton.
7. The Gunpowder Plot.
8. Literary glories of Aldwincle.
9. Closing scenes.
10. March past of all performers.
Over 300 local people of all ages took part in the performance on Monday 28th June which
took place in the grounds of St Peter’s Church Rectory. It was of such a large scale, there was also a full orchestra, brass band and a large chorus providing the accompanying music.
It was repeated on the next Wednesday to an audience of 2,500, some of whom can be seen in the first picture which also shows the temporary grandstand built at a cost of £800. An unknown local photographer recorded the event with a series of postcards, of which I have seven, five being shown. Parts of the production were enacted elsewhere, one being in 1917 where it was reported in the Folkestone, Hythe, Sandgate and Cheriton Herald on 21st April.
The Pageant was reported in the
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