Malmesbury Benefits from Athelstan Project. Malmesbury is measuring the success of its Athelstan 1100 project which marked the anniversary of Athelstan becoming the first king of all England.
Thirty-six events took place in the town across across June, July and August this year. And statistics gathered from the events show that Malmesbury, with its current population of around 7,000 attracted over 8,000 external attendees.
Cllr Campbell Ritchie, who led the steering group of community groups and individual volunteers on behalf of Malmesbury Town Team said: ‘This campaign set out to generate a long-lasting legacy of interest in Athelstan’s place in Malmesbury’s history. Mission accomplished we’d say.
Events delivered
‘We delivered events where we used artwork, creativity, music and story-telling. And we also achieved our aims of delivering many of these events free of charge. Of the thirty-six events which took place, twenty-two were free. And 6,000 people came along to ticketed events.’
Kicking off the events, were a series of specialist talks delivered by leading historians:
Tony McAleavy
Professor Michael Wood OBE
Tom Holland FRSL and …
… the Very Reverend Professor Sarah Foot.
Tom Holland
Community activities centred on three weekends in July. They started with the Big Athelstan Dig. That involved excavating thirteen test pits in various locations including private gardens.
Malmesbury Benefits from Athelstan Project – one of the digs that took place during the Athelstan project
Also enjoyed were:
Anglo Saxon food, drink and craft fair
A community Anglo-Saxon picnic
An Anglo-Saxon re-enactment event by the organisation Regio Anglorum at St Aldhelm’s Mead.
There was also a celebration Anglo Saxon feast – that sold out within days.
An Anglo-Saxon fair in Malmesbury 2024
Across the summer The Athelstan Museum, also run by volunteers, staged an Athelstan exhibition. It brought together relevant artefacts never before displayed in one place. These included the ‘Abingdon Sword’ loaned by the Ashmolean Museum. That’s an iron sword hilt found in 1874 yet dating from the time of Athelstan. Also:
A charter signed by Athelstan dating to 939 AD loaned by the British Library and ..
… Rare coins some dating back to the time of Athelstan and his grandfather Alfred The Great (loaned from Noonans). This exhibition ran until September 30.
Other moments to note:
The opening of Athelstan Pilgrim Way in collaboration with the Diocese of Bristol.
And the unveiling of King Athelstan banners in the high street with many designs by local school children.
the specially created ‘Athelstan – A United Kingdom’ play held in the Abbey – written and produced by Alan Nixon and Paul Overton.
Not forgetting the staging of a performance of the musical Oh Athelstan! by the pupils of St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, also held in the Abbey.
Media stories about the project went around the world. In particular the revelation of 1,000-year-old remains of individuals found in early 2024 in the grounds of the Old Bell Hotel. They’re now undergoing extensive research. They featured in a double spread about Malmesbury’s Big Athelstan Dig in a national newspaper in September.
Measuring the effects
Malmesbury has measured the effect of this project by various means including:
Counting the number of tickets bought and booked
Recording the number of visitors to each separate event
And registering the uptick in sales and visits around the town.
Campbell said: ‘Our statistics have now started to filter through. For example, our tourist information centre saw a seventy per cent increase in traffic in June 2024. Then a seventy-six per cent increase in July and a fourteen per cent increase in August. It’s the first time in its history that we have recorded more visitors in July than in August.
‘As for the Athelstan Museum, visitors almost doubled in July alone and sales in the museum’s shop tripled during this period. These were the measurable effects within Malmesbury. They don’t even consider the stories told regionally, nationally and internationally.”’
Across the summer, 104 organisations and businesses took part in various events with the town decked with King Athelstan merchandise including badges, T-shirts, fabric, stickers, bunting and even Athelstan ale and sausages. The event generated an income of £61,000 in ticket sales, sponsorship and grants with services in kind estimated at more than £28,000. Taking all this into account it achieved its target of breaking even. It’s expected there’ll be a small surplus to invest back into the community for future events.
Not the end
‘This is not the end,’ Campbell said. ‘The finds from Athelstan’s Big Malmesbury Dig will be on display in Malmesbury Town Hall on the 15th and 16th March 2025. There’ll be supporting explanations by Cotswold Archaeology. And we’re continuing our visits to people in the local community unable to attend our events to tell Athelstan’s amazing story.
‘The original films and songs made for Athelstan 1100 will also feature on a new Explore Malmesbury YouTube channel launching in Spring 2025. And Malmesbury’s Athelstan Trail will be available to enjoy for years to come.’
It’s not the end of this story. There will be new events and collaborations as the 1100th anniversary of other key moments in Athelstan’s reign come around. The Malmesbury team are liaising with colleagues in Kingston Upon Thames next year as they celebrate his coronation which took place there in 925AD.
Cinderella at the Wyvern. Yep. It’s Panto time again. And for 2024 the Wyvern Theatre are serving up that Christmas classic, Cinderella, featuring she of the glass slipper.
As ever, this production has all the elements you know and love. There’s tiaras, tantrums, slapstick, sparkles and a stunning, showstopper of an end to the first half. But to say more than that would be spoilers!
In the role of Molly Miggins, the Panto dame, David Ashley is as polished and professional – and funny – as you’d expect from someone with his long experience treading the boards. And wearing outrageous outfits. Obvs.
Meanwhile, Lisa George of Coronation Street fame, did us a lovely turn as the Fairy Godmother in an enviable green cloak that I can’t help think would complement some green velvet loafers I have in my possession. Anyway …
… Ben Goffe gave us a turn as a charming and bouncy Buttons and Maisie Scarlett delighted in the titular role.
But of course everyone is wonderful and I must and will give a special mention to the ensemble and junior ensemble. They’re the glue that pulls the whole thing together. All credit to them.
Cinderella at the Wyvern Theatre 2024
About the Cinderella story
As with most of our well-known, much-loved pantomimes the story of Cinderella has its roots in an ancient folk tale. Known also as The Little Glass Slipper, this one, according to that fount of all knowledge, Wikipedia, has thousands of variants told around the globe.
The protagonist is a young girl living in poor circumstances who’s suddenly blessed by remarkable fortune in the form of ascension to the throne via marriage.
Emerging sometime between 7 BC and AD 23, came a tale of a Greek slave girl, Rhodopis, who marries the king of Egypt. This story is often seen as the earliest known variant of the Cinderella story.
Giambattista Basile, in Italy, published the first literary European version of the tale in 1634. But 1697 saw the version that’s most known in the English-speaking world published in French, by one Charles Perrault. He did so in something called Histoires ou contes du temps passé, as Cendrillion. And that became Anglicized into Cinderella.
And of course the Brothers Grimm had their fingers in the Cinderella pie. They published a version called Aschenputtel in their folk tale collection Grimms’ Fairy Talesin 1812.
Name change
Although the story’s title and main character’s name change in different languages, in English-language folklore Cinderella is an archetypal name. The word has embedded itself in the language to mean someone/something whose talents and attributes aren’t noticed and recognized. Thus in the sporting world the term ‘Cinderella’ gets used to refer to a team or club that wins over stronger, more favoured competitors.
This ever-popular story continues to influence popular culture internationally, lending plot elements, allusions, and tropes to a wide variety of media.
New Grant Launched to help give young people access to the outdoors. Leading educational charity The Ernest Cook Trust is piloting a new grant scheme. Its aim to help organisations provide opportunities for young people to enjoy the outdoors and connect with nature.
The Communities Grant aims itself at charities and non-profit organisations. It runs along the same lines as the Trust’s popular Outdoor Essentials Grant. That one’s offered to schools.
Under the pilot, the Communities Grant is currently only offered to organisations located in the Trust’s Gloucestershire hub area. That’s Swindon, Gloucestershire and Bristol (with postcodes SN, GL or BS).
New Grant Launched – image taken from a Trust’s Outdoor Learning activity.
Goals
The goal is to encourage young people aged from 11 to 19 from underserved communities to enjoy the outdoors and connect with nature. Evidence shows that from around 11 years of age, children’s connection with nature can begin to decline. Also young people up to 25 years old for special educational needs and disabilities.
Successful applicants will get £500. They can put it towards travel costs to get to natural open spaces. Or to pay for kit like wellies and waterproofs for young people to wear. Lack of equipment and the cost of transport are barriers to young people getting outdoors.
Organisations can also use the grant to enhance or create nature areas in the local community. Things like ponds, raised beds or sensory gardens. Or to buy resources to help young people engage in the outdoors, like bird boxes or craft materials.
Suzie Paton, the Trust’s Director of Learning, Grants & Partnerships, said: ‘We’re very excited to launch our new Communities Grant. It gives us another opportunity to reach young people. In the same way that our Outdoor Essentials Grant has succeeded in giving schoolchildren living in underserved communities the opportunity to connect with nature and experience the benefits of outdoor learning.’
Should you ever feel the urge to do a Google search on ‘famous people from Swindon’, Wikipedia helpfully presents you with an eclectic list that’s a good fifty names long. Some of them are household names, Diana Dors for instance. Also, XTC, Gilbert O’Sullivan and Billie Piper to name but a few. Pleasingly the list includes some not-quite-household-names-that-should-be. I’m thinking here of the Hammerman poet – Alfred Williams, the jazz drummer Colin Bailey and writer Ralph Bates. And, speaking of him, why the town doesn’t celebrate a man dubbed El Fantastico by the Spanish is beyond me!
Art for art’s sake
What feels a shame is that the list doesn’t feature any of the well-known artists that Swindon has spawned. A list that would be fifty-strong at least I’m sure. In fact, were I to start writing Swindon in 50 Artists I suspect I’d have a problem stopping at fifty. Anyway, talking about the Wikipedia list allows me to segue into the unsung son of Swindon that I want to talk a little more about: Harold Dearden. I recently attended a talk given to the Friends of Museum and Art Swindon by Harold’s grandson, Philip. And it’s that talk that’s inspired mention of him here. At this point I must acknowledge Philip for his kindness in sharing his material with me to use here.
Although not Swindon-born, Harold’s contribution to the arts in Swindon is so great that he absolutely counts as a son of Swindon. Well at least as far as I’m concerned, he does.
Harold Dearden – 1888 to 1969 – From Rochdale to Swindon
Harold entered this world in Rochdale, Lancashire, on 10th September 1888. Educated in Rochdale, Harold attended the Rochdale School of Art. There, he found himself tutored by the first head of Rochdale’s art school, Henry Barret Carpenter. He (Carpenter) went on to publish an influential book on colour theory in 1915. Its main purpose was to help students in understanding how colours interact thus helping them to use different hues, tints and tones in an informed way.
Colour comprehension had importance for both pictorial artists (painters) and for designers. This included those in the textile industry – critical in the mill town of Rochdale.
With the help of Barret Carpenter, Harold Dearden succeeded in escaping the poverty of Rochdale via a scholarship to the Royal College of Art (RCA) in London. There he undertook five years of intense classes. In the first instance he studied the compulsory topic of architecture followed by all aspects of art. In the period 1910-15 art studies at the RCA included murals, modelling and painting.
Following his 1915 graduation from the RCA, Harold Dearden secured a post as assistant art master teaching at the School of Arts and Crafts in York. This was though a temporary post as the art master he replaced had joined the army.
The school of arts and crafts were based in the York art gallery, close to York Minister. As an assistant master, it’s certain that Harold would have found himself in the thick of things and in what was most likely a very stimulating environment. Sad to say he didn’t get a renewal of his position. This might well have been because, when national conscription came along in 1916, Harold took the stance of conscientious objector.
1916 draws to a close and …
… Harold moved closer to his mother and sister in Rochdale. Here he found an appointment as arts teacher at the Halifax School of Art – part of the technical college.
Under the guidance of the headmaster, Mr J Crowther, the volume of teaching work in the school of art increased. Again, Harold would have found himself in a stimulating environment in the middle of an expanding college. It’s known that building extensions at Halifax School of Arts were called for in 1915 and then again in 1925.
At the age of 29, on the 15th May 1917, Harold Dearden married Annie Coupe (aged 26) a telephone operator in Rochdale. But, less than nineteen months later, tragedy struck. On the 26 Feb 1919 his new wife died, aged twenty-eight, from pneumonia/influenza.
Following the death of his wife Annie, Harold moved south to an art teaching job at Gloucestershire College of Art and Design. While working there he met Ruth Rowell (born 18 July 1892) a 28-year-old Cambridge graduate teaching at Cheltenham Ladies College. They married in July 1920 just before Harold (aged 30) was appointed as Head of the Art School in Swindon.
Harold Dearden Unsung Swindon Son – Harold’s career in pictures
Harold Dearden in Swindon 1920-1969
So Harold held the role of head of Swindon art school for thirty years. He lived in Swindon and played an instrumental role in establishing the Swindon Artists’ Society, serving as president and vice-president of the society for a number of years.
During his Swindon years, Harold made significant contributions to Swindon’s art scene, serving as an advisor for the town’s growing art collection.
Of his own artistic output, much of his subject matter came from Swindon and its environs. Though he also used London, Cornwall, Dorset, Norfolk, Yorkshire the Lake District and Wales. His works are often valued for the social history contained in the subjects.
A long career
Harold’s dual careers as teacher and professional artist spanned both world wars and beyond. Yet he appears to have been somehow immune to the 20th century currents of artistic fashion and managed to remain true to the figurative tradition of his training.
Ruth and Harold
The couple moved to Swindon and firstly lived at 45 Eastcott Road and then moved to Fairhaven 58 Westlecot Road in 1929.
Harold died in at St Margaret’s Hospital, Stratton, Swindon 6 July 1969 aged 81 – not in 1962 as most internet references record.
Harold and Ruth Dearden
Salubritas et Industria
Salubritas et Industria
The picture on the bottom right of the image above, a large oil painting, called the Blackberry Pickers is a recent donation to Museum and Art Swindon. This picture was shown In the Swindon Artist’s Society annual exhibition in 1945. Of course, in 1945 the Dig for Victory campaign was well underway. Alongside this campaign people were also encouraged to forage for food.
The top left-hand picture, Salubritas, Harold painted exactly 100 years ago. As you can see it’s badly damaged. Below is a slightly better image of it.
Salubritas by Harold Dearden
This damaged picture, which is in Swindon’s art collection along with its sister, Industria, has an interesting backstory. It’s one of two pictures commissioned by the Swindon Town Council in 1924. Their purpose to illustrate Swindon’s motto Salubritas et Industria – Good health and Industry.
*Good health and hard workmight be a better translation. That’s industry in the sense of ‘hard work’ (per industriousness) rather than heavy machinery. The literal translation is ‘wholesomeness/good health and purpose/diligence’. It means that Swindon is salubrious, a thriving centre of industry.
*I agree with Philip on this and indeed I said words to that very effect in my Secret Swindon book!
The curious tale of the disappearing pictures
Now there was a time when Salubritas et Industria hung in the Council Chamber in the town hall – when that building housed the civic functions. At some stage, it’s not clear when, the paintings were taken down and somehow or other ended up in a skip. Gah!
From there, Terry Court, Swindon’s arts officer rescued them.
Newspaper clipping of Terry Court with Industria – one half of the pair of paintings.
At some, unspecified point the works were accepted into the Swindon collection but kept rolled up.
Swindon artist Tim Carroll was present when the Public Catalogue Collection were photographing art around the country – approx fifteen years ago. It used to be possible to see them on the Art UK website – Art UK | Discover Artworks – but they’re no longer there.
There’s a bit of theme in Swindon relating to things going in skips and stuffed in the back of cupboards – the Tom Dixon light sculpture – remember that? And Charlotte Corday in the town hall is another fine example.
Carleton Attwood
Having read about the pictures in the Swindon Advertiser, local Swindon sculptor Carleton Attwood helped solve the riddle of the pictures and explained their purpose and their history.
According to the Swindon Advertiser in Jan 1984:
‘Thamesdown Council now plan to restore the pictures and hope to hang them in the Mechanics’ Institute once it is renovated.’ Ha!! Thirty years on …
Painting 2: Industria
‘In this rather masculine scene, it looks as if the workers are hard at work. Or they’re rolling up their sleeves to get ready for the work required. Of course, the steam engine backdrop of this picture is simply part of Swindon’s important railway heritage.’
Industria from Salubritas et Industria
Suffice it to stay no restoration of these paintings has not, as yet, taken place. But on that do watch this space!
To view some of Harold’s work go here – note the incorrect death date:
Wiltshire Paralympian Meets Royals. November 7th saw Paralympian Chris Hunt Skelley MBE attend Buckingham Palace to meet the King and the Princess Royal. The event being a reception for Olympians and Paralympian.
Chris, who lives in Wiltshire, achieved a momentous milestone by winning the bronze medal in judo at the Paris 2024 paralympics. His achievement came in a new weight category after winning gold in Tokyo. He is officially one of the most successful para judo athletes the UK has ever produced. And one of the world’s leading judoka.
Wiltshire Paralympian Meets Royals – Chris Hunt Skelley MBE with the Princess Royal at a reception at Buckingham Palace
A right royal experience
‘To be welcomed and honoured by the King and the Princess Royal was an amazing experience. And it was wonderful for us all to get this recognition together, both olympians and paralympians, as elite athletes,’ Chris said.
It was a wonderful experience and I was able to share it with my wife Louise, a former Paralympian.’
Chris with his wife Louise at Buckingham Palace
The King, the Princess Royal and the Duchess of Gloucester hosted the reception.
‘Your achievements across so many disciplines were forged from that invaluable combination of raw talent, true grit and hard toil over many year. Behind every medal won lies a wonderful story of courage, commitment and true talent.’
Chris, who is visually impaired due to oculocutaneous albinism, discovered his passion for judo when other sports were no longer safe for him. Judo became his sanctuary during a challenging time. He rose fast through the ranks by competing blindfolded and prevailing over sighted competitors.
His journey to Paris 2024 was not easy. He faced challenges over his classification around his condition. This meant he was unable to compete in some key competitions. Even though he’d already qualified. These were hidden obstacles which most people knew nothing about.
‘Getting to Paris was a journey like no other. Behind the scenes I was facing questions over my disability. This had a negative effect on my mental health. It literally took me back to my teenage years when no one believed me when I said I couldn’t see.
I’m so proud that I kept going, with the support of my closest family, friends and my team. For me, winning my bronze medal was an even greater achievement than winning gold in Tokyo,’ Chris said.
I’m so proud that I kept going, with the support of my closest family, friends and my team. For me, winning my bronze medal was an even greater achievement than winning gold in Tokyo,’ Chris said.
Paralympian roadshow
Chris is now part of the Paralympian Paris Roadshow. He’s travelling the UK with his para judo colleagues and running classes for those in grass roots martial arts and judo. He also has plans in 2025 to launch his own masterclass initiative on a private basis.
