Historic re-enactments are a fine balancing act. They need enough real history abd dressing up to be convincing. And enough tongue well through the cheek to be enjoyable.
I think the re-creation of Aethelflaed’s body coming to Gloucester for burial at St Oswald’s today, 1100 years on, pulled the act off.
History according to Alan Myatt is always fun and always has quality dressing up. Anglo Saxon kit has never looked so good or the dead Aethelflaed so exquisite (or young).
But her body was buried at the Priory she founded, the remains do include Anglo Saxon stones, the setting is wonderful and Canon Nikki Arthy gave the great Queen a suitable (& suitably feminist) send off. (After which I hope Aethelflaed I hope nipped into the Pelican Beer Festival).
Raise your glasses to Alan, Marketing Gloucester and many others involved in making this a success that has put Aethelflaed on the map, seen a couple of thousand join the procession and every ticketed event (free or bought) a sell out.
We didn’t imagine that when we discussed this at the Gloucester History Trust a few months ago.
There is a lot more to our city than first meets the eye - and now we know St Oswald’s is a venue as well as a monument. Hog roast, beer, ice cream, music, poetry and drama next?
