NEWS
The final details for the Folkingham Remembers Operation Market Garden have been completed, and as well as the activities, displays, and exhibitions continuing throughout the day, we have a stellar cast of speakers from as far away as America and Sweden giving talks on a variety of topics that would have influenced Folkingham and the County during 1944. For those whose interest runs to entertainers, there will be three stages with singers, dancers and childrens theatre performing throughout the day. For more details, please see the Forthcoming Events page.
Look out for our wonderful new website coming soon.
JOIN US ON THE NEXT SAILING OF THE AVELAND ODYSSEY HERITAGE FESTIVAL
Our aim is to recreate the village on the eve of Operation Market Garden. An operation flown from USAAF Base 484 by the 313th Troop Carrier Group – who we believe were part of the 1st drop on Day 1. The base was literally within eyesight of the village and certainly within earshot!
This will be the 4th Heritage Festival we have held in the area, and continues our emphasis on showcasing history of different era’s in the settings in which it occurred. The festival is completely free entry, and has all the usual entertainment, catering, shopping experiences you have come to expect there will also be a more educational strand, where children and adults can get involved in more hands-on and interactive activities that give a more rounded flavour of life at that time. There will also be a series of free lectures by eminent historians, again expanding on all aspects of the era.
We are hoping to encourage relatives from America who may wish to have a look around the area, maybe even for the first time, and our local council is also preparing a Trail of the area, where more information will be available on the many many sites and buildings involved in 1944. Access to RAF Barkston and RAF Saltby is available as are many other sites in the county.
HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE
BRING ON THE VIKINGS!
THE LECTURE PROGRAMME IS REVEALED.
See the Forthcoming Event page for more details.
JOIN US FOR A FRIDAY NIGHT FESTIVAL PREQUEL, WHERE ARCHAEOLOGIST MARK RANDERSON WILL SHED LIGHT ON THE GREAT HEATHEN ARMY AND THE EARLY YEARS OF SCANDINAVIAN SETTLEMENT IN ENGLAND
ST PETERS CHURCH, THREEKINGHAM. FRIDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER 2023 DOORS OPEN 7.00 PM £10 ADMISSION TO INCLUDE CHEESE AND A GLASS OF WINE
TICKETS FROM EVENTBRITE OR ON THE DOOR.
AND THE MAIN EVENT!
300+ marauding Vikings will return to Threekingham nearly 1053 years to the day to avenge the deaths of their 3 Kings at the Battle of Stow. Join us to witness the daily battles, and immerse yourselves in the vast living history camp, learning to live and fight as a Viking. Help us unearth the treasures that lie beneath the battlefield in an archaeological dig. For the more serious historians a series of lectures will be held daily in St Peters Church focussing on the lives of the Vikings both here and abroad.
There will be market traders, catering outlets and free parking.
History Talks 2023
As 2023 begins and normal life resumes, history talks in person are at last starting. At the Aveland History Group we aim to keep you up to date with what is going on in our locality, so over the next couple of weeks we will be posting the programmes for the surrounding groups. It looks like there will be something for everyone!
Folkingham Georgian Festival
REBOOTED!
THE FESTIVAL IS NOW SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY 20TH AND SUNDAY 21st MAY 2023
With the approval of our generous sponsor we have been able to reschedule the planned festival for Spring 2023. Not only that, but our entertainers and enactors alike are able to join us!
For more information about the exciting FREE!!!! entertainment we have planned visit the May 2023 Georgian Festival Page.
AVELAND ARCHIVE
Following our previous announcement that we had obtained a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of an overarching grant for Aslackby Village, we are pleased to announce that progress to develop our new website is well in hand. A small, but perfectly formed, team of volunteers are busy uploading a variety of documents, photographs and memories, many of which have languished in the far recesses of peoples lofts, and which may have been lost for ever.
We have great plans for 2023, some are still in the pipeline, some we are able to share. For more information please visit the Aveland Archive page.
The End of an Era
The sad death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has brought to a close the second Elizabethan Age.
21 April 1926 - 8 September 2022
FANTASTIC BOOST FOR THE GEORGIAN HERITAGE FESTIVAL
Council grant to help fund heritage festivals
A community history group covering 32 villages has been awarded £10,000 by South Kesteven District Council to stage a heritage festival in Folkingham this September.
The Aveland History Group can now embark on ‘An Aveland Odyssey – Cruise through History Heritage Festivals’ programme to celebrate and enhance the district’s rich heritage.
The first event is this year’s Georgian Festival in Folkingham on Saturday 17th - Sunday 18th September 2022 - now rescheduled to 20th & 21st May 2023.
Cllr Rosemary Trollope-Bellew, SKDC Cabinet member for Culture and Visitor Economy, said: “We want to work with local groups to help them create sustainable events. Supporting the history group is a welcome opportunity to help illustrate a remarkable ancient culture and heritage.
“Holding the festival in different locations will encourage a wider community of people to get involved, increasing recognition and driving up visitor numbers. We have as a council celebrated our Georgian heritage in Stamford and I am looking forward to the event in September.”
The planned Georgian event in September includes entertainers, living history, market stalls, food and drink outlets, heritage crafters and subject matter lectures. Chair of the Aveland History Group Ali Ray said “we are delighted to have the backing and support of SKDC as we embark on this initial festival of our five-year plan. The funding enables us to make the festival free entry and to provide an outstanding range of activities for the whole family to experience. It will draw people to our part of the County, so we invite everyone to come along and see what you can discover about life in the era of Bridgerton!”
For further details of the exciting programme, please see our dedicated Georgian Festival page
THE AVELAND HISTORY GROUP ARE PROUD TO BE PART OF THIS FANTASTIC PROJECT
The Village of Aslackby celebrates after receiving £208,524 in
National Lottery funding
St James’ Church, Aslackby, The Aveland History Group, and Dementia Support South Lincs are celebrating after their joint project “Bringing Architectural and Village History to Life” is awarded a £208,524 grant by The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Today, St James’ Church, Aslackby, The Aveland History Group, and Dementia Support South Lincs has received a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £208,524 for an exciting heritage project, “Bringing Architectural and Village History to Life”, in Aslackby. It is made possible by money raised by National Lottery players. The project focuses on repairing the leaking Church roof, creating dementia friendly guides and displays, digitising the village archive and creating a website to this digital repository of information about Aslackby history. We will help local primary schools to visit and learn about Church architecture and history as well.
Free Stained Glass Workshops
Thanks to an Arts in the Community grant from South Kesteven District Council, we held a very successful series of free 8 half day taster sessions in local venues. Feedback from the participants was overwhelmingly positive, as each had the chance to learn the techniques of stained glass making. Under the expert tutoring of local stained glass artist Cathi Prince of Shedglas Design, each person took home their own unique piece, and most are keen to be involved in helping to make the final pieces for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Arts Project.
Below are direct comments made on the feedback forms:
"A very worthwhile & enjoyable afternoon, with clear guidance. Also lovely to leave with a glass project intact and to meet some of the members"
"Excellent for those on low incomes to access free local workshops. Relaxing with knowledgable help and well organised"
"Wow, what an amazing experience! Thank you so much for taking the time to show us this beautiful craft."
Calls for funding for The Aveland Jubilee Project
The Aveland History Group, in conjunction with local stained glass artist Cathi Prince of Shedglas Design and master craftsman Frank Holcombe of Cabinet Making by Design, has put together a bid to create a lasting piece of Community Art to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. We have been lucky enough to secure SKDC Funding to commence the first phase of the project, which was a series of 8 half day stained glass taster sessions (see above).
With entries coming in for the design phase from schools, care homes, individuals and local support groups, we are progressing with fundraising via approaches to the local parish councils for a modest contribution towards the project. We are looking for a main sponsor from a commercial business with roots in our community.
We also have strong engagement with Stamford College and their Construction Skills faculty. This team see great benefit in working with Frank, to give apprentices and students a taste of fine cabinetry as a means to develop on from their practical joinery skills.
Cruise through our local history
In view of the success of the Folkingham Heritage Festival held in the village in September 2021 we aim to continue the tradition annually. To give everyone a chance to be involved and to showcase the variety of historic locations we have within the Wapentake, we are proposing a series of festivals held in different villages through our region over the next five years.
So far we are well underway with preparations for a Georgian Festival in Folkingham in September 2022, but we have also been able to start preparations for a Viking Festival in Threekingham in 2023. Commemorating the legend of the Battle of Stow in 869, the Vikings are coming to be slain again!
The Electronic British Library Journal A fascinating set of articles available free from the link below.
The eBLJ is the journal of scholarly research into the contents and history of the British Library and its collections. It is the successor to the British Library Journal, which appeared in twenty-five volumes between 1975 and 1999. Its purpose is to advance knowledge of the British Library's collections by demonstrating their wealth and the ways in which they are used by researchers. It is available free to all users of our website. It is permanently archived and is indexed in Humbul, The History Journals Guide, MLA, etc.
ISSN 1478-0259
© The British Library Board
Explorer's Road Route opens up for visitors
August 2021 A new generation of explorers is set to discover South Kesteven thanks to a major national and international tourism project.
Grantham and Stamford are highlighted as destinations on the Explorer's Road - www.explorersroad.com - promoting quintessentially English cultural and historic attractions along the A1 from Newcastle to Hertfordshire.
"The Great North Road is a route travelled by the English for 2,000 years. The Explorer's Road highlights reasons to turn off the beaten track and discover the wealth of amazing local places to visit in a Covid-safe manner, some of them truly unique and best kept secrets."
Our Regional Places include The Angel and Royal Hotel, Grantham - a favoured haunt of the travelling Knights Templar
Join us on Facebook
7th August 2021 We now have a Facebook Group up and running. Join us on The Aveland History Group.
Folkingham Heritage Festival
2nd August 2021 We are delighted to confirm that the Aveland History Group has been successful in obtaining a grant from South Kesteven District Council which will enable us to upsize an already impressive offering for the Folkingham Heritage Festival in September. For details of the festival refer to September Events.
New Addition - Dates for the Diary
26th July 2021. It has been a long-term aim of the Aveland History Group to promote not only our own events but to generate a calendar of events across the societies and groups of the region. With the advent of many talks and seminars now offered via zoom, access to a wide range of topics and speakers is now, either free or for a small fee, available to view from the comfort of your own home. We have now managed to tame technology and to incorporate a new tab “Dates for the Diary”. We do not profess to include everything available, nor to be responsible if events are cancelled at short notice, but all the events included should link back to the original sites from which they were generated.
So sit back and enjoy.
New Website up and running
Folkingham Past and Present History Group have launched a new website. Including fabulous photographs from the soon to be published book on Folkingham by Martin Smith, the site is a feast for the eyes. Not only that but if you enter the shop you will have a chance to subscribe to his book, get your own name in print and make history of your own in Folkingham.