Bonus Edition: Charters and Cranes.
The editor attended the opening of the Brampton Museum's latest exhibition, The Lost Charter.
Borough’s charters go on display in 850th anniversary exhibition
A special exhibition has opened at the Brampton Museum and Art Gallery, displaying for the first time the full archive collection of Newcastle-under-Lyme’s charters, all but The Lost Charter that is.
The Lost Charter exhibition is the latest in a year-long programme of events celebrating the Borough’s 850th anniversary.
Addressing the first visitors at an event to mark the exhibition’s opening, Elise Turner, Activities and Events Officer, Brampton Museum, said: “The people of the new castle petitioned King Henry II directly, saying that they wanted a charter for the Borough of Newcastle, so that people could be free, and exempt from all these tolls and tasks.
“The original Henry II charter is actually lost. It’s like so many medieval things, the chances of a bit surviving is so rare. But we know that it existed, and we know the date because Preston, a few years after, made a copy of our charter and it says in there that this is a copy of the Newcastle charter that was made in 1173.
“The actual rights that the charter gave us were pretty basic by today’s standards, but it really was the founding of civil rights, the human rights acts that we enjoy today.
“It was also the birth certificate of Newcastle as a borough and as a town.”
Local illustrator and author Glenn Martin James has been commissioned by the 850 Anniversary Project to recreate the lost charter. His recreation will be presented to the Borough at a special event in June.
Meanwhile, Glenn has been working with children at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, inspiring them with stories of the borough’s history to create their own charters.
Glenn said: “It’s been lovely. I wrote a story for the children about Brother James, telling about how homesick he is, having left Newcastle to go and collect the charter, and what the town looked like, and going to King Henry II to collect it, and then trying to get back through all the dangers that that would’ve presented, and bringing it back home to everyone.
“The children have written the contents of their own charters. They’ve been writing with quill pens, from writing the King’s greeting in Latin, and their names in Latin, and they’ve done a little colorised picture of the King’s image. They’ve made their own charters, there are 60 of them.
“They found out that the castle was actually where their school is, quite literally where their school is.”
The incredible exhibition, spanning the Borough’s history from medieval times to the present day, is now open to the public during regular museum opening times. An engaging programme of events runs alongside, and details can be found on the council’s website.
Website: 850th Anniversary Celebrations
Poem: Cranes
By Adam Colclough
Endlessly, the shadow casting arm moves A titan building its child, This is what progress looks like When capital is central, A view from the penthouse, ignoring The blunt streets down below, The great leap forward, hobbled Again, before it starts, Though they fill the horizon now These cranes will become archaeology; Their works long forgotten.
Upcoming Events:
Ongoing: to Monday 1 May - City Nature Challenge. Can we get Staffordshire wildlife sightings trending on the global leader board? Get the app, get spotting, get recording.
Ongoing: to Monday 1 May, 10am to 5pm - The Great British Food Festival at Trentham Gardens, “celebrity chef demos, artisan market, street food stalls, bars, activities, crafts, baking competition, and live music”. Ticketed.
Opening weekend of The Lost Charter, Brampton Museum, Newcastle, “celebrate 850 years of the history of our borough. Find out about the lost charter, take a look at the surviving charters and explore centuries of our local history - from medieval to modern times”. Exhibition is free and runs till 9 July.
Opening weekend - Dressing the Royals exhibition opens at Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Hanley, “costumes from film and TV spanning over 400 years of royal fashion”. Ticketed.
Saturday 29 & Sunday 30 April - Lymelight Music Festival, Ironmarket and Guildhall stages, Newcastle town centre, “local up and coming artists provide a weekend of free, live music.” A Newcastle BID event.
Sunday 30 April, 11am to 4pm - Minton Makers Market, indoor stalls from various artisan makers, Minton Centre at the Old School House (ST4 7NW), behind Holy Trinity Church, Hartshill, “plenty of parking in the old school yard”. Refreshments available too.
Monday 1 May to 30 June, 10am to 4pm - Celebrating in Ceramic: Burleigh's Royal Commemorative Ware, situated within 'How we lived at Harper Street' this exhibition will showcase the production of commemorative ware in relation to the royal family including Births, Marriages, and Coronations! Middleport Pottery. Ticketed.
Tuesday 2 May to 5 May, 10am to 3pm - Coronation activities at the Dudson Museum, Hanley. Coronation colouring sheets & a royal wordsearch in the bottle oven, a free Royal Pottery Hunt, ‘Spot the Royals’ & a fun royal quiz. Royal crafty activities too.
Monday 8 May, 11am to 3pm - King’s Coronation Park Party, free event in Hanley Park. Live music, circus skills, magic shows, sports, crafts, entertainers.
Tuesday 9 May, 10.30am - Home Education Wildskills at Biddulph Grange, inviting children and parents to “connect with the outside world and learn a range of new skills.” A Staffordshire Wildlife Trust event, following the Forest School ethos. Booking essential.
Friday 12 May, 7.30pm - Scratch Night, Artshill Volunteer Performers Group, an evening of sketches, stand up comedy, poetry, monologues, and more, at B Arts, Stoke, ‘pay as you feel’.
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