Axbridge Review: Rare footage of the 1990 Axbridge Pageant – when a real bull was led into the Square, a cut-purse was placed in the stocks and the Romans featured a platoon of soldiers

By Harry Mottram: I was recently contacted by Peter Nicholson who used to live in Axbridge and later Cross but now lives in Kent. He was involved in the 1980 and 1990 Axbridge Pageants working with the artistic director of those pageants Anne Griffith along with Nick Barrington – both whom many will remember. Peter helped with the film which was edited and recorded on a VHS cassette – a copy of which he sent to me as a MP3 file.

He also had this note for me: “I’ve read your pieces about Megan with great interest and nostalgia, since Megan was my Godmother. I lived in Axbridge from the age of 0 to 12, returned in 1980 and lived in the newly converted Choate House, followed by 32 West Street and St .Jude’s before crossing the Great Divide of the A38 to live in Cross.”

He added: “My wife Miranda and our twins James and Sarah are the posh mother and children descending from the 1st class carriage of the ‘train. I think the nanny is Bob Bardle’s daughter.”

(Bob Bardle was a self-employed builder who lived in the town and was a former mayor of Axbridge and town councillor. He passed away in 2022. Megan Baker lived in Trafalgar House in the town and died a few years ago – she was a vibrant member of the town’s social scene and took part in the plays of the town’s first thespian group in the 1950s. See: https://www.harrymottram.co.uk/journalist/axbridge/axbridge-features/megans-axbridge-part-1/ )

The footage is fairly clear and so is the sound with Hugh Griffith as the narrator. Those familiar with the last pageant and the ones in 2000 and 2010 will notice several changes as the production evolved under the direction of John Bailey with my updated scripts – we added the 20th century and more accurate historic details. There are several striking changes compared to 2022 with a large Roman scene with slaves carrying ingots of lead and an impressive contingent of Roman soldiers complete with a commanding officer, a chariot and a mounted centurion. In the bull bating scene a real bull is led around the Square although a symbolic bull’s head is the centre of the action. The Victorian scene is very elaborate and features the steam train – pulled by a steam roller – while the 20th century is represented by classic cars. However much is the same as the 2022 pageant with the Tudor scene, the Lady Day Fair and Queen Henrietta Maria visiting the town during the English Civil War.

Perhaps the most endearing aspect is seeing so many familiar faces – albeit looking much younger than today! It’s also interesting to see how the Square was set up with a stage and grand stands – with graphics hanging from the buildings. The challenge for the next pageant in 2029 will be to recruit enough people to take on the various roles in what is a mass community event and one that lives on in the minds of those who take part for the rest of their lives. Happy memories. Thank you Peter Nicholson.

I’ve posted the video on my You Tube channel. Visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F87MnXFvnrA

This is a converted VHS file of the 1990 Axbridge Pageant in Somerset loaned by Peter Nicholson. There’s more at https://www.facebook.com/groups/209118200277392 and at https://www.harrymottram.co.uk/journalist/axbridge/axbridge-pageant-2029/ and at https://axbridgepageant.com/ and https://www.harrymottram.co.uk/2023/04/21/axbridge-pageant-feature-the-towns-extraordinary-history-play-began-in-the-heady-days-of-the-1960s-and-the-closure-of-a-railway/