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Cockermouth Georgian Fair April 9 2005
Location: Cumbria
The market town of Cockermouth, in North West Cumbria, is famous as the birthplace of William and Dorothy Wordsworth, and in 2004 their childhood home, Wordsworth House, was given a complete make-over to emerge as a "Living History" experience. This was the inspiration for Cockermouth's first Georgian Fair, held on 9th April 2005. The "living history" experience was extended out into the historic core of the town with Discovery Walks, a street market and street entertainment.
However, research revealed that in the last 50 years of the 18thCentury Cockermouth had given birth to others, famous and notorious, such as Fletcher Christian, the Bounty mutineer, John Walker and William Woodville, pionees of vaccination, John Dalton the scientist and Fearon Fallows, Royal astronomer. THe Georgian Fair and Georgian Week aimed to celebrate these individuals and raise awareness of the town's Georgian Heritage.
A full week of events was planned to lead up to the day itself :
- Monday 4th : Screening of "Vanity Fair" at the Kirkgate Cinema
- Tuesday 5th: Talk on Romney and the Cumbrian Artists by David Cross at Castlegate House Gallery (an 18th C. town house)
- Wednesday 6th: "Coffee House Conversations" at Merienda Coffee House with talks on John Dalton and Fearon Fallows, two of Cockermouth's famous 18thC sons.
- Thursday 7th : Wordsworth Birthday event at Wordsworth house organised by Cumbrian Writers' Group SLATE, including biographical talk, poetry reading and perfromance of new poems specially comissioned.
- Friday 8th : Performance of "Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean" - an authentic 18thC pantomime by Chalemie. ...followed by a "Jane-Austen-style" Ball, including some Playford Dances.
- Sat 9th - the Fair itself rounded off by a massed concert of Georgian Music in the Parish Church.
| Local Community Involvement / Partnerships: |
The Cockermouth Partnership - Arts, Culture & Heritage Group
National Trust
Kirkgate Centre
Civic Trust
Cockermouth Town Council
M-Sport
Jennings Bros
Cockermouth & District Neighbourhood Forum
Cockermouth Combined Music Societies
Cockermouth Amateur Dramatic Society |
| Grants: |
Heritage Lottery Fund: £19217
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