2000 Years of History: A Pageant of Chester-le-Street

Pageant type

Notes

Information drawn from 'Survey of Historical Pageants' undertaken by Mick Wallis; with thanks to Patricia Sheldon of Newcastle City Library.

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Performances

Place: Lumley Castle (Chester-Le-Street) (Chester-Le-Street, Durham, England)

Year: 1967

Indoors/outdoors: Outdoors

Number of performances: 6

Notes

26 June – 1 July 1967

Name of pageant master and other named staff

  • Director [Pageant Master]: Naylor, R.

Names of executive committee or equivalent

  • R. Naylor
  • C. Patterson
  • A.J. Westwell
  • V. Anderson
  • J. Lowis
  • K. Roscoe
  • A. Kennaugh

Notes

The pageant was presented by the Restoration Committee of the Parochial Church Council.

Names of script-writer(s) and other credited author(s)

  • Sarsfield, Mrs N.
  • Harbottle, Mr M.W.
  • Bowman, Mr W.
  • Cook, Mr J.

Names of composers

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Numbers of performers

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Financial information

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Object of any funds raised

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Linked occasion

2000th anniversary of Chester-le-Street

Audience information

Prices of admission and seats: highest–lowest

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Associated events

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Pageant outline

Key historical figures mentioned

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Musical production

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Newspaper coverage of pageant

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Book of words

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Other primary published materials

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References in secondary literature

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Archival holdings connected to pageant

  • Newcastle City Library holds material relating to this pageant, including a copy of the programme.

Sources used in preparation of pageant

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Summary

Chester-le-Street celebrated its two thousandth anniversary in 1967. As in many other cases, an historical pageant was felt to be an appropriate addition to the festivities and one duly took place at the end of June that year. Staged in the grounds of Lumley Castle, the pageant was organised in association with the Church of St Mary and St Cuthbert. Presented by the Restoration Committee of the Parochial Church Council, the pageant sought to raise money for the upkeep of the church buildings, the oldest parts of which date back to the eleventh century. It is certain that the close association between the church, the town and the long history of English Christianity loomed large in the pageant narrative, though the more recent past was not neglected: the concluding scene (the 'Present Day') dealt with the impact of coal mining on the local community.

Footnotes

How to cite this entry

Angela Bartie, Linda Fleming, Mark Freeman, Tom Hulme, Alex Hutton, Paul Readman, ‘2000 Years of History: A Pageant of Chester-le-Street’, The Redress of the Past, http://www.historicalpageants.ac.uk/pageants/1603/