Press release
It has been a longstanding Nantwich tradition to commemorate the civil war battle and lifting of the siege here in January 1644, with a colourful parade and battle re-enactment courtesy of the Sealed Knot. The day became known as Holly Holy Day as the happy citizens of 'Namptwich' wore sprigs of Holly in their buttonholes to celebrate.
Plans are now very advanced for the 2010 Holly Holy Day Winter Fayre - a celebration of Nantwich's moment in History, and its wealthy historical tradition. The Holly Holy Day Society Chairman, Shaun Cafferty, explains:
''We wanted to make sure that this special Nantwich day appealed to and involved a broad spectrum of our local community, as well as attracting lots of potential visitors to the town. So this year the traditional parade and battle is just the culmination of a day filled with entertainments and attractions from early in the morning. Hopefully, there will be something for everyone, and it's going to be FREE! We will be trying to recapture that celebratory spirit after the month long siege, and bring some colour and fun into what can be a gloomy time of year.
There will be tours of St. Mary's and a hog roast in the well at the Church, a Living History exhibition nearby, and events at the Museum. Mounted civil war cavalry parading the streets and a carriage service will be adding to the ambience. There will be various staged entertainments during the morning in the square, and jugglers and other street entertainers elsewhere in the town centre. We are setting aside an area in town dedicated to children's entertainments, and we will also have 17th Century music and dancing.
The terrific Indoor market is getting heavily involved and will be supplemented by a further outdoor market selling crafts and unusual goods - well worth a visit. Holly buttonholes will be on sale with proceeds going to the Church appeal, and we hope as many people as possible will wear historical costume. It's going to be a great day to be in Nantwich. We have even got the Town Crier, to keep everyone informed!
To get the most out of the day though, I recommend that everyone buys a programme, which will detail all the events on offer as well as the full background to Holly Holy Day. They will be on sale before the event and on the day. Possession of a programme will also provide free family admission to Mill Island for the battle itself, subject to space and safety considerations on the day'.
Shaun also paid tribute to the support the event receives from the town:
'An event like this takes time and money to organize. We are very grateful for the invaluable support of Rotary Club Crewe and Nantwich Weaver, the Nantwich Town Council and Cheshire East. We are aiming to make the event stand on its own two feet, so we really appreciate local businesses such as the Co-Op, Alvaston Hall Hotel and Residence backing us with sponsorship deals. A number of companies have made practical contributions of goods and services, and others have helped by taking adverts in the programme. As ever, we are also dependent on the goodwill and contribution of Nantwich citizens who give freely of their time and expertise. Holly Holy Day is something special about Nantwich that binds us all together, and I hope that everyone supports and enjoys the event in January - whatever the weather!'
