The scene in the town hall

The recruitment and information evening on Sunday, January 26th, for the Axbridge Pageant 2020 was a great success with many people signing up. 

Saxons mingled with Victorians, Tudors chatted with the Home Guard… and scores of people signed up to fight in historic battles.

The past and present collided at a recruitment and information session for the 2020 Axbridge Pageant. Held in the Town Hall, the event gave local people a chance to embrace their inner historical character or to take on a role behind the scenes.

Whole families signed up for the Lady Day Fair and Edwardian scenes as well as the Monmouth Rebellion where they could wave off their loved ones to fight in two different conflicts hundreds of years apart.

One lady offered a flock of sheep complete with sheep dog for the Lady Day Fair, while equestrian Liz Scott pledged to bring fellow horse riders to the occasion.

The Tyte family will once again be putting the diesel into the Second World War scene with a vintage tractor and trailer to give the Land Girls a ride into the Square. And Mrs Tite is keen for her 1970s moped to make an entrance in the post war scenes.

Artistic Director of the pageant John Bailey said: “It’s been very busy with a lot of people committing themselves to more than one scene – which is really heartening. It’s still not too late to sign up but it is essential to have the names for each scene committed very soon so the costumes can be arranged.”

Producer John Kendall said: “A lot of people have come to the town in the last ten years and so don’t know about the pageant. With the display boards and the video running throughout the evening they had a chance to soak up the concept and become engaged with it – and sign up.”

Wardrobe mistress Barbara Wells said: “I think once people saw the costumes we had on display and the photos of some of incredible outfits they became hooked. It is a chance to be a character from the past and become living history – and that’s what got so many excited.”

The Axbridge Pageant 2020 is over the bank holiday weekend in August, Saturday to Monday, August 29-31, in the afternoon. If you missed the event and would still like to take part email John Kendall at production@axbridgepageant.com

More details here:
http://www.harrymottram.co.uk/axbridge-pageant-2020/

To get more information email your details to
the producer John Kendall at production@axbridgepageant.com

More info at
http://axbridgepageant.com/news.html