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King Harold Day 2006
"The Battle of Hastings" by Marriott Edgar
Harold, Crowned King and Killed in a Year
New Boards for the Abbey Gardens
Sites for the Interpretative Boards
Schools' Art Competition
Other places connected with 1066
Harold's Links with Waltham Abbey
How it all Began
King Harold Day people
King Harold Day 2004 and 2005
The Eve of Conquest
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How it all Began
Location: Essex
King Harold Day came out of a conversation in a summer garden. Many months, much work and more worry later, the first King Harold Day was held. This is the story of how it happened.
How it all Began
The Idea
In the summer of 2003, Elaine Fletcher and Tricia Gurnett sat in Elaine’s garden discussing fund raising ideas for the youth charity at Waltham Abbey, Essex, of which they are both Trustees. The big idea they came up with, though, was not a fund raiser. It was something quite different - a new concept for Waltham Abbey.
The conversation turned to the town, and they agreed that it did almost nothing to mark its historic significance as the burial place of King Harold, the last Saxon king of England. They decided to do something about it, and hit upon the idea of running a medieval festival on the nearest Saturday to the anniversary of Harold’s death at the Battle of Hastings, the 14th October.
They had some misgivings. Clearly it had to be a very large event, which would take a huge amount of work. They wondered whether they could do it, but they decided to give it a try. So began a long and somewhat tortuous journey, since it was constantly plagued by lack of funds.
How do we Start?
Shortly afterwards they happened to mention the idea to a friend, Isabelle Perrichon who was one of the owners of Philpott’s Tea Rooms in Waltham Abbey. They discovered that Isabelle had felt the same frustration that there was no promotion of the Abbey’s significance and had also thought of such an event. So, Isabelle joined in, and an informal project group was started. A graphic artist, Isabelle designed the project’s logo, and then the leaflets, programmes and posters. Set in a wonderful ancient building in Church Street overlooking the Abbey, the Tea Rooms became HQ and the base for meetings of the King Harold Day Committee.
The three talked first to The Rev’d Canon Martin Webster, the Rector of Waltham Abbey Church, who was all for the idea, and quickly asked Dave and Sheila Giles to represent the Church. The core committee was completed by the recruitment of Garth Gregory, an amateur actor and performer, who played a vital part in the entertainment provided at the event.
What to call it? Well, it seemed obvious - King Harold Day. It was agreed that it would be staged for the first time on Saturday 16th October 2004.
Support and help from the Town
Right from the start Waltham Abbey Town Council gave its support to the idea, and offered the loan of equipment for the event. Richard James, the Town Clerk, and Dave Carter gave a huge amount of help. Helen de May, then Education Officer at Epping Forest District Museum, threw herself wholeheartedly into the project. The Church agreed that the Abbey Churchyard could be used, and Lee Valley Regional Park, which manages the Abbey Gardens, agreed King Harold Day could take place in its extensive grounds.
A number of local voluntary groups quickly became involved, being co-opted to the committee for the time that their involvement was being arranged. Peter Frost, Town Crier of Waltham Abbey, agreed to change his usual red coat, lace cravat and tricorne hat for a monk’s habit, and offered his services free of charge both to promote the event on market days and to announce the programme on the day.
That old problem - Money
Funding was going to be a problem. Marquees and mobile loos were needed, and they cost big money. The opportunities to make money on entrance fees were limited by the fact that the site was criss-crossed by public footpaths. In the end an application to Awards for All was successful, but the result was not known until mid summer 2004, causing many anxious moments. Meanwhile, the informal group had been transformed into the King Harold Day Society, and a constitution drawn up, and a bank account opened. The aim of the project is to celebrate the cultural heritage of the town and to create greater awareness of the historical importance of Waltham Abbey in the local community and beyond.
King Harold Day Happens!
The month before the great day was a time of huge stress, but we got through it. 16th October dawned, everything was set up ready, and the crowds flocked in. It was a really enjoyable day for everyone, and the public made its support clear by demanding that it should become an annual event.
On Sunday, after the clearing up and totally exhausted, Elaine and Tricia spoke to each other by telephone: “We said we didn’t think we could do it. Well, we’ve done it!”
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