Client Access News

April 2009

Sandwell St Georges Day Festival

The Sandwell St George’s Day Festival was a huge success this year with Historical Promotions providing a Medieval joust, foot tournaments, have a go archery, period crafts and demonstrations, encampments, falconry and children’s make and take home workshops, but also a 27ft ‘Crusader’ boat!

The festival organised by Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council), had over 7,000 visitors attending the event and also featured celebrity presenter Keith Chegwin. ‘Cheggers’ who presented a series of children’s programmes in the 1980’s, such as ‘Multi-Coloured Swapshop’, ‘Cheggers Plays Pop’ and ‘Saturday Superstore’ said that he thought the Medieval Festival encampments, demonstrations and children’s activities were “Absolutely Brilliant!” and asked for a Historical Promotions business card!

Jane Johnson, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council said ‘Best event yet, everything was fantastic, you did us proud, the arena and displays were superb. ‘Cheggers’ was great, thanks for all!’


March 2009

Wellingborough Museum Henry VIII 500th Anniversary

Historical Promotions and Event Management designed and organised a Tudor School’s Day and Public Open Day at Wellingborough Museum on Friday 27th and Saturday 28th March, to celebrate the 500th Anniversary of Henry VIII’s accession to the throne in 1509.

The schools day included a series of presentations by Henry VIII, who talked about his life and times to eager primary school children. More than 250 children visited the museum to find a series of Tudor artisans and craftsmen encamped within the museum grounds. The children were able to discover about Tudor coin making from our period Moneyer and learn about medicine from the Barber Surgeon. The day also featured a number of hands-on and make and take home workshops, including children’s Tudor Witch Pot making and Plaster Gargoyle making. The day was finalised by the King’s Royal Astronomer talking about the Sun, Moon and movements of the stars during the International Year of Astronomy (2009).

The Open Day at the museum on Saturday was extremely busy with over 550 people visiting the event, with many children bringing their parents and other relatives to the museum after their experience from the schools day. The day was completed with Tudor dancing taking place both inside and outside the museum.

The two days at the museum proved to be the most popular in the museums history and further events are being considered for later this year.


February 2009

Plymouth Museum Launch

Throughout 2008 Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery has been busy undertaking a multi-million pound project of four new gallery spaces as part of a ground floor refurbishment scheme, which covers extensive collections in fine art, human history (including archaeology, Ancient Egypt and world cultures) and natural history.

The museum should be officially opened to the public on 11th February 2009. Historical Promotions designed an Ancient Egypt day, which comprised Victorian Archaeologists informing members of the public about their experiences in Egypt, with hands-on and make and take home opportunities for children. The presentations also extended to providing a Chinese musician, playing a pipa lute, in the Bringing the World to Plymouth Gallery. The event was a complete success and further presentations are being planned for later this year.


November and December 2008

Historical Promotions has been extremely busy over the winter months and festive period with 28 events organised and managed by the company during late November and December. The events comprised Victorian and Georgian Christmas Markets, Snow and Ice Christmases, Christmas Light Switch-on’s and a wide variety of festive walkabout entertainment programmes for town and city centres and shopping retail outlets.

Lynn James, Sudbury Town Council said “I write…to thank Historical Promotions for providing such wonderful entertainment for our Christmas Fair. The performers really were a joy to be seen by the children and the town of Sudbury.”


September 2008

Hinckley and Aylesbury Tudor Fayres

The annual Tudor Fayre at Hinckley and Aylesbury organised by Historical Promotions in September have again been enjoyed by thousands of people attending these events since 2004. The Fayre’s have become a firm fixture in the annual events programme of each town and plans are well in advance of staging them for 2009.

Bedford ‘Horrible Histories’ Day and Times Newspaper Top Five Children’s Events

Bedford ‘Horrible Histories’ Day organised by Historical Promotions on behalf of Bedford Borough Council proved a great success with thousands of people visiting the event in Harpur Square throughout the day. The day featured Ancient Greeks, Gory Gladiators, Scary Samurai, Nasty Normans, Vicious Vikings, Medieval Mayhem, Terrible Tudors and many other periods and characters from history.

The event was listed as third by ‘The Times’ Newspaper’s Top Five Children’s events to visit in the UK.

Andy Pidgen, Events and Marketing Manager for the event said, “…the day went off brilliantly as usual.”


August 2008

Lymington 750th Charter Anniversary Fayre

A Medieval Fayre was researched, planned, developed and organised by Historical Promotions for Lymington and Pennington Town Council to celebrate the town’s 750th Charter Anniversary this summer. The day witnessed Medieval

combat displays, demonstrations of crafts and period entertainment. The event attracted approximately 5,000 people and was hailed a complete success by Lymington and Pennington’s Town Mayor, Martina Humber.

July 2008

Chesterfield Medieval Dragon

As part of the annual Medieval market held in Chesterfield each year, Historical Promotions organised a smoke bellowing, wing flapping, moving fully animated 15ft high Dragon to visit the event. The dragon, which is of ‘Walking with Dinosaur’ film quality, made a huge impression in the town, with thousands of people flocking to see the mythical beast.

Alyson Barnes organiser of the event from Chesterfield’s Tourism Service said, “The dragon was so popular that he could hardly walk about because of the crowds gathered around him! The day was extremely successful!”

Bedford River Festival

Historical Promotions and Event Management provided a Roman Festival at this year’s Bedford River Festival organised by Bedford Borough Council, which celebrated its 30th anniversary this year. The Roman Festival was extremely popular with thousands of people visiting the Roman encampments, craft and cooking demonstrations, and children’s activities. The weekend also featured Roman boats (Curraghs) and a Coracle being rowed on the River Great Ouse for the first time in nearly 2,000 years.

The arena events proved to be a sell out, with Roman Legionaries undertaking drill and battle tactics, but the highlight of the weekend were the Gladiatorial and combat displays, which had members of the public cheering in their thousands for their favourite teams and Gladiators. An estimated 300,000 visitors attended this years River Festival, which proved to be a huge success. The Mayor of Bedford and VIP guests were treated to a special welcome and show performed by the Gladiators during the day, with the Mayor acting as a Roman Emperor.


June 2008

Legoland

Working with Legoland and VisitDenmark, Historical Promotions and Event Management organised a Viking encampment, 15ft boat, combat displays and various craft and children’s activities at Legoland to create a Scandinavian-style celebration to commemorate the arrival of the parks latest area ‘The Land of the Vikings’. The day proved to be a tremendous success with thousands of visitors streaming through the gates as part of Legolands midsummer festival programme.


April 2008

Sandwell St Georges Day Festival

The Sandwell St George’s Day Festival, organised by Historical Promotion and Event Management on behalf of Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, was a huge success this year with over 7,000 people attending the day. The event, which has the largest St George’s Day parade anywhere in the country, featured a host of Medieval entertainment including a period Joust, Medieval foot tournaments, period craft displays and demonstrations, have a go archery for members of the public, music and dance and children’s make and take home workshops.


March 2008

Ashbourne Victorian Educational Resource

Following the success of Ashbourne’s Victorian Christmas, The Ashbourne Partnership in conjunction with Historical Promotions and Event Management produced an educational resource booklet on the Victorians for schools. The booklet, which features information on Victorian clothes, diet, everyday objects, houses, shops, methods of transport and education has being distributed free to over 20 schools in the area.


February 2008

Derbyshire Life Press Coverage

Derbyshire Life (February 2008) publishes a double page spread about our successful Victorian Christmas Fayre organised in Ashbourne in December 2007. Historical Promotions organised the event on behalf of The Ashbourne Partnership in celebration of the town’s charter anniversary. The event attracted 2,000 people who came to see Victorian demonstrations, walkabout characters and entertainment.

The day was hailed a complete success by The Ashbourne Partnership and local businesses in the town, which opened specifically for the event.