April Update

April Update 17th June 2011

There were some challenges in getting the project off the ground initially, which were largely to do with the timeline. Consequently, the plan was re-visited and new timescales and objectives were written in.

There was also the fact that, while the school was champing at the bit to get started, the community wasn’t really on board yet with the project.

However, there is now a core group of enthusiasts in the village itself who are very much on board, and the school has a number of events planned and an overview of the project across the next 12 months has emerged.

WWII events
The school is keen to maintain the focus on WWII events for the rest of this school year, despite the fact that the village has already had its WWII supper and music evening, so the following events are planned:

17 May: Visit to Beaumanor Hall

Late May: training in oral history for groups of school children and adults in the village. Oral historian booked, but dates to be confirmed after Easter holidays. Oral history collection will take place at the end of May. The oral histories will be depositied in the East Midlands Oral History Archive, but will also be used as part of displays and possibly other work through the year.

From 16 June: 4/5 dance workshops, learning popular 1940s dances.

6 July: Ration lunch and WWII dance. Band is booked. Parents will be invited to come in for lunch, and then have their own dance lesson so that they can take part in the WWII dance/street party that afternoon.

Victorian events
The village is not having a Christmas tree festival this year, and is focusing more on autumn/harvest events. The community decided that they would like to hold a Harvest Barn Dance, which fits well into one of the project’s objectives of exploring land use from the late Victorian period onward.

The village community choir will learn songs that would have been sung in Victorian times in preparation for performance.

There will be a Harvest Supper in Swepstone Church as part of the village’s Harvest Fair on the weekend of 10 September. The choir will sing its songs, and there will be a performance of a show called “God Speed the Plough: the Victorian Farmer’s Year in Song” starring John Kirkpatrick who was seen on the programme The Victorian Farm. There will also be traditional food and cider tasting.

The school will take part in the Harvest Barn Dance on 17 September. The first part of the evening will be a Family Barn Dance (6:30 – 8pm) to allow them maximum chance to take part, with the adults’ event to follow.

The school and local people will work together in the autumn to create a tapestry reflecting the village’s farming and agricultural history, facilitated by a professional artist.

Looking beyond autumn 2011

The villagers are interested in reviving the old East Midlands tradition of Plough Plays (a traditional entertainment performed on Plough Monday). Local historian Steve Tunnicliffe will be asked to help the village construct a new Plough play, which can be performed by both the school children and the adults in the village.

Bosworth history and events
Villagers are keen to explore and research the history of Bosworth and its local impact, so we are looking at events that could focus on this for next spring.

A village history (book)
Villagers are keen on the idea of creating a village history which could contain their local history research, as well as excerpts from the oral histories we will collect in the spring. Plus a visual arts element in artwork, cover design etc.