Festival of History
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History Live (formerly The Festival of History) was an annual summer event held by English Heritage. The event focused on historical re-enactment. The first event was held in 2003 in the grounds of Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire and attracted 10,000 visitors. It was held once more at Stoneleigh Park in 2004, before moving to Kelmarsh Hall in Northamptonshire, where it was held either in July or August from 2005 onwards. At the time it was Europe's biggest historical event.[1]
Aims
[edit]
English Heritage is the executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport which is responsible for the historic built environment in the UK. Public education on the history of England is a large part of the body's remit. At the time it was held, English Heritage described the Festival of History as its "flagship event"[2] and the "highlight of its event calendar".[3]
Features of the event included historical re-enactments involving several thousand people in all, aerial displays, demonstrations, specialist talks, story-telling, theatre and hands-on events for children.[4]
History
[edit]At Stoneleigh Park
[edit]- 2003, 9–10 August, 10,000 visitors. Set piece re-enactment: The Battle of Edgehill[5][6]
- 2004, 11–12 August, 14,000 visitors.[7][8] Set piece re-enactment: Boudica's final battle.[9]
At Kelmarsh Hall
[edit]- 2005, 13–14 August.[10] Set piece re-enactment: The Battle of Naseby.
- 2006, 12–13 August.
- 2007, 11–12 August,[11] 17,215 visitors.[12]
- 2008, 19–20 July,[13] 17,784 visitors.[2]
- 2009, 25–26 July,[1] 19,000 visitors.[14] Set piece re-enactments: The Siege of Harfleur;[15] the Battle of Agincourt;[16] the Battle of Waterloo.[15][16]
- 2010, 17–18 July.[17]
- 2012, Arranged for 14–15 July. Due to torrential rain & flooding in the early hours of Saturday morning it had to be cancelled.
2011 event
[edit]The 2011 event on 16 and 17 July 2011 at Kelmarsh Hall includes re-enactments of the Imperial Roman Army and gladiatorial fighting; armoured knights and medieval jousting; a display of "tent-pegging", a medieval Indian sport;[18] the Duke of Wellington's redcoats; a Victorian gymkhana; a replica World War I trench[19] and World War II action including a Spitfire flypast. As well as re-enactments there were family activities and sideshows, as well as public talks given by well-known historians and archaeologists.[4]
2011 saw the inaugural Festival of Historical Writing at the event, in partnership with the Historical Writers' Association. Guest speakers include Michael Morpurgo, the author of War Horse, and Manda Scott.[20]
History Live!
[edit]In 2014, the event was renamed History Live! and was still held at Kelmarsh Hall. In February 2015, English Heritage announced there would be no History Live! in 2015 stating "History Live! will not be returning this year, in order to concentrate on delivering a wider range of events across England."[21]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Get ready for the English Heritage Festival of History 2009". Culture 24. 25 June 2009. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ a b "English Heritage Annual Report and Accounts 2008-09" (PDF). English Heritage. 2008. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ "Days out in England". English Heritage. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ a b "What's On 2011". English Heritage. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ "New History Festival is Top Summer Day Out for Motorists". MSportUK. 8 July 2003. Archived from the original on 21 August 2008. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ Kirkwood, Holly (6 August 2003). "Celebrate horses through history". Horse and Hound. Archived from the original on 20 November 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ "English Heritage Annual Report and Accounts 2004-05" (PDF). English Heritage. 2005. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ "Portable Antiquities at the English Heritage Festival of History". Portable Antiquities Scheme. 17 August 2004. Archived from the original on 2 December 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ Thompson, Jonathan (1 August 2004). "Heritage chief accuses Hollywood of rewriting history to suit American tastes". The Independent. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ "Stonehenge Rebuilt!". Young Archaeologists Club. July 2005. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ "Goulish Graveyards and Medieval Madness at the Festival of History 2007!!". Young Archaeologists Club. 2007. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ "English Heritage Annual Report and Accounts 2007-08" (PDF). English Heritage. 2007. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ "Newsletter of Northamptonshire Archaeological Society: National Archaeology Week" (PDF). Northamptonshire Archaeological Society. July 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ "English Heritage Annual Report and Accounts 2009-2010" (PDF). English Heritage. 2007. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ a b "Battle lines drawn for festival fun". Harborough Mail. 24 July 2009. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ a b Hayward, Rachel (27 July 2009). "Families go time-travelling at English Heritage's spectacular Festival of History 2009". Culture 24. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ Neil, Emma (17 July 2010). "English Heritage – Festival of History 2010". Birmingham Conservation Trust. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ "Tent-pegging sees taxi drivers swap cars for horses". BBC online. 6 July 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ Moss, Richard (6 July 2010). "War Horse heads to English Heritage Festival of History for dramatic World War I trench recreation". Culture 24. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ "Festivals". Historical Writers' Association. Archived from the original on 28 June 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ "English Heritage unveils 2015 events".