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Shakespeare Birthday Celebrations
Part of Shakespeare's Birthday celebrations
Celebrate the life and legacy of Stratford's most famous son at the 449th birthday celebrations.
20-21 April 2013
Shakespeare's Birthplace
The Birthday Celebration brings together organisations across Stratford-upon-Avon. Throughout the day community events and street entertainment will be taking place, organised by The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and the RSC. From 9:20am to 12:00pm the Birthday Procession will take place and the day's events will culiminate with Beating Retreat by the Band of the Corp of Royal Engineers in Henley Street. The event is free and open to everyone.
Visit the official Shakespeare's Birthday website for more information.
The Shakespeare Houses & Gardens are offering free entry (single visit) to CV37 residents (proof of CV37 residency required) for up to 2 residents (and accompanying children).
What's on at the Shakespeare Houses:
Shakespeare’s Birthplace
Live acting from Shakespeare Aloud! in the Shakespeare Marathon.
Hang your wishes from The Wishing Tree.
Come and perform your own rendition of Romeo & Juliet.
Hall’s Croft
Toddlers’ party in the garden 1.00pm -2.30pm.
Enjoy Hall’s Croft Cafe with it’s delicious food or bring a picnic.
Free entry into the garden between 12.45pm and 2.45pm for families with under 5’s.
Nash’s House & New Place
Write a story in a day, add a sentence to leave your mark.
Plus, enter our sonnet writing competition.
Anne Hathaway’s Cottage & Gardens
Explore nine acres of gardens, grounds and woodland walks. I am sorry, visitors can no longer add their own paper dove to an installation celebrating the new Dovecote. Please look out for this new feature in the summer.
Mary Arden’s Farm
William’s Birthday Party! Tudor games, performances by the Mummers group and live music.
The Birthday Cake 20 April
Birthday Cake at Anne Hathaway’s Cottage & Gardens and Mary Arden’s (limited availability). Cake served at Nash’s House 1pm-2pm, Hall’s Croft 2pm-3pm and at Shakespeare’s Birthplace 3pm-4pm.
More information will be coming soon the 2013 Birthday Celebrations website: www.shakespearesbirthday.org.uk
The Birthday Luncheon will be taking place across lots of venues in Stratford-upon-Avon, so whether it's something as simple as a 'Shakespeare Sarnie' from a coffee shop or pub, or a celebration in one of our prestigious hotels.
Venues offering Birthday fare:
El Greco, Rother Street
Munchies, Meer Street
Jesters, Shrieves Walk - no Wi-fi
New Bulls Head, Bull Street
White Swan Hotel, Rother Street
The Arden Hotel, Chapel Lane
The Alveston Manor Hotel, Banbury Road
Café Rouge, Sheep Street
Edward Moons, Chapel Street - no Wi-fi
The Creaky Cauldron, Henley Street
Bamboodle, Union Street
Falcon Hotel, Chapel Street
Holiday Inn, Bridgeway
Essence, Old Red Lion Court
RSC Rooftop Restaurant, Waterside
Hall's Croft, Old Town
The Lazy Cow, Bridgefoot
Thespians, Sheep Street
This list is subject to change and new venues may be added.
Programme for the Saturday 20 April 2013 celebrations:
9:20am - Mustering Civic Reception at Town Hall for invited guests.
9:35am - Information leaflets and hand held flags distributed to gathering spectators.
10:25am - Procession moves off, led by the Band of the Corp of Royal Engineers. Parade route: Sheep Street, Chapel Street, Chapel Lane, Waterside, Bridge Street, High Street, Chapel Street, Church Street, Old Town, Holy Trinity Church.
10:30am - Procession will pause momentarily in Waterside, to witness the unfurling of five RSC banners, depicting the plays performed at the theatre this season.
10:37-10:47am - During the activity in Henley Street, the Royal Engineers and costume characters will entertain the crowds.
10:51am - Having witnessed the Quill Pageant, the guests of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust will be escorted to Bridge Street and take up position at their flag stations.
10:53am - The KES Head Boy will be escorted by drummers down Henley Street and will enter the Bridge Street arena to take up his position in front of Barclays Bank.
10:55am - The Royal Engineers will strike up the 'National Anthem' and the Lord Lieutenant, Mr Timothy Cox, will unfurl the Union Flag.
10:58am - Four buglers from the Royal Engineers will take up their positions in the first floor windows of Barclays Bank.
10:59am - The KES Head Boy will hold the quill aloft and the Royal Engineers will play a fanfare culminating with a cymbal clash.
11:00am - All the flags will be unfurled simultaneously.
11:02am - The Royal Engineers will play 'Happy Birthday', with everyone invited to join in and sing.
11:05am - The band of the Air Training Corp will lead the Associate Vicar of Stratford-upon-Avon, Rev Stephen Bate, and the primary school children to Holy Trinity Church.
11:12am - The Coventry Corp of Drums, leading the KES Head Boy, will process down Bridge Street. As they turn at the bottom, pupils and staff from KES will sweep round the corner from Waterside to take up their traditional position at the head of the Procession, to Holy Trinity Church.
11:20am - The Royal Engineers will then follow, leading the rest of the Procession in crocodile formation down Bridge Street, up the other side and on to Holy Trinity Church.
11:30am - The Community Parade will immediately follow, which anyone may join.
11:40am - The Procession will parade through Holy Trinity, depositing flowers at Shakespeare's grave.
11:50am - The official Procession will end. Guests, visitors and spectators are invited to attend one of the many luncheons taking place at various eating establishments. Look out for the gold and black balloons outside participating venues.
12:00pm - The Pragnell Prize Reception for invited guests, takes place in Big School at KES.