EH Festival of History, Kelmarsh Hall
After Stoneleigh, English Heritage chose to move their annual Festival of History to Kelmarsh Hall in Northamptonshire. The festival, later renamed 'History Live!', was a multi-period event incorporating groups from the ancient period through to the twentieth century, with encampments, stalls and arena events.
For our first visit to Kelmarsh, we were asked to provide a special piece to interact with the English Heritage VIP's reception. For this we researched and portrayed Thomas Hanbury, who was around in the late seventeenth to eighteenth century. He was the creator of the current house, but for our period we had to believe in a previous house. Rather than being within the main area of the festival, we were in the garden adjacent to the house.
In the following years we brought the Hanburys back sometimes, but also introduced a number of other themes, but based within our little marquee, including the Pepys and the coffee house.
1661 - Pepys' uncle's funeral
July 2010
Having done Samuel Pepys at Portsmouth Docks, we thought we'd explore his life more and the month of July coincided with his uncle's funeral. He had spent some of his early years with his uncle in Huntington while he was being educated.
1693 - Ladys taking tea
July 2009
In 2008 we brought a Coffee House to Kelmarsh. As this was a predominately male activity at the time, we thought it was the ladies turn. So we have a group of ladies discussing wedding arrangements over tea.
1693 - The White Horse Inn
July 2011
Dropping down the social scale from previous Kelmarsh visits, we decided to portray a 17th century coaching Inn. A various mix of people visiting, either for a brief rest from the hard ride of a coach, or for overnight safety.
1695 - A London Coffee House
August 2008
The coffee houses of the late 17th century were the starting point of many businesses that are still going today. Lloyd's of London insurance probably being the most famous. A social leveller, they brought many different people together for a penny entrance fee, as long as you were male.
1695 - The Hanbury's at home
August 2005
We brought Thomas Hanbury and his family to life in the 1690's, generally centred around an Ambigue, (what we'd call a picnic.) We created different reasons over the years for the family to meet up in their garden for dinner.
1695 - An ambigue with the Hanburys
August 2007
We brought Thomas Hanbury and his family to life in the 1690's, generally centred around an Ambigue, (what we'd call a picnic.) We created different reasons over the years for the family to meet up in their garden for dinner.
