Heritage Weekend 2009

Heritage Weekend - 11th/12th/13th September 2009                                                 What an amazing Heritage Weekend for St. Andrew’s Church Shottery!
Our theme of the Second World War hit the right mark and thanks to glorious weather the weekend was a huge success.
Nick Fogg set the tone on the Friday evening with his lively, entertaining and informative talk about Shottery and Stratford during both World Wars citing local personalities who had fought in both wars.
On Saturday and Sunday the church displayed memorabilia and artefacts from the Second World War, much of which has been loaned by parishioners, but also a tremendous input from The Warwickshire Reminiscence Action Project for which we are extremely grateful.
The Vicar started proceedings at noon on Saturday by sounding the air raid siren. War time lunches were served (corned beef hash or macaroni cheese, followed by a choice of spotted dick, rhubarb crumble, or jam sponge, washed down with dandelion and burdock, lemonade or Tizer! ) and served by Wartime Housewives.
There followed a Dig for Victory demonstration with Bill Tucker giving some background into the necessity to grow one’s own food. David Challis had set up a war-time vegetable patch in the front garden of the church and he then explained how people would have grown and harvested the produce during the war.
Everyone then “trooped” back into the church for a demonstration of war-time cookery of a Woolton Pie by Hilary Mattocks ably assisted by Judith Fogg. This unrehearsed demo was unintentionally hilarious and had the packed church rolling in the aisles.
With little time to recover from this we were soon into the Big Band era with 26 St. Andrew’s Players raising the roof playing marches, jazz and Glenn Miller – all from the war period. Having been rolling in the aisles the audience were now dancing in the aisles. This was followed by refreshing tea and home-made cakes served by Nippies.
The following day had been designated Battle of Britain Sunday with Vicar James Warren preaching to this theme. (hear his sermon)At the end of the Service students from the Youth Emmaus Course interviewed Harry Ware who had served in the Royal Air Force during WW2, and the Fellow Travellers learned about being Evacuees.
During the afternoon a host of children (and adults) enjoyed playing war-time children’s games in the church grounds. About 80 people turned up for a Street Party Tea, which was interspersed with community singing and reminiscences and which ended with everyone standing and singing God Save the King!

It was a brilliant weekend - there was a great atmosphere with everyone on a high, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

 Check out our photos:  Heritage09