362 years ago this week, Parliament abolished Christmas and Canterbury was in uproar. Weeks of chaos ensued, and the city wall ended up with a great big hole in it…
Now The Bakery presents this little stocking filler for you all – a full cast, festive production for BBC Radio Kent! You can hear our 5-minute production “The Year Christmas Was Banned” Compleat and Unexpurgated on Dominic King’s show around 5.45pm today.
Or, if you missed it . . .
LISTEN AGAIN ON THE BAKERY AUDIO PLAYER
It was scripted by Bakers Dadd & Fryer, and features familiar voices Tony Cooper and John Hippisley, bringing to life the real historical figures of the Town Crier & Mayor William Bridge respectively. We would like to extend a special thanks to Prof. Jackie Eales for allowing us the interview which forms the backbone of this feature, and for all the historical information with which she consequently armed us.
News came of a great Insurrection at Canterbury, about keeping of Christmas-Day; The Mayor of the Town endeavouring to allay the Tumult, and exercising his Authority according to the Ordinance of Parliament against such vain and superstitious Observations, was very much abused by the rude Multitude, had his Head broke, and was dragged up and down; the Tumult was so great. The Cry was, “For God, King Charles and Kent!”Proceedings in Parliament, December 1647
Above – the rioters themselves: Alaric King, Jack Jamison, Jan Grimshaw, Me (in a suit) and Kylie Grant. Thanks to them all for their outstanding ability to make disagreeable noise.
Canterbury’s Christmas riots are a fascinating (and peculiarly little-remarked-upon) period of local history. It’s also a delight to once again produce a bit of comedy/drama for the radiogram, so we hope you all enjoy this extra special Christmas treat.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!
I was pleasantly surprised to see Tarvuism recently make an unexpected appearance in episode 6 of the wonderful BBC comedy series ‘Bellamy’s...
Alaric King
Who is that idiot on the left? And why is his head shaped like a door wedge?
Alaric King
“And that was a production from The Bakery, for BBC radio Kent”!
Woo hooo hooooo!
Richard Dadd
For those of you wondering what happened in 1648, in the months after the abolition of Christmas, the story of the English Civil War is continued here in a similar vein courtesy of Messrs Elton and Curtis . . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iB8qh0-hGc
Brilliant stuff.
Rich Dad's rich dad
And I thought I knew all of the episodes of Blackadder! Fantastic, – especially Stephen Fry’s King Charles III
From the archive #2… « webakestuff.co.uk
[...] have received a long-overdue topping up of films and (for those of you who missed it) our recent BBC Radio Kent Christmas feature is at last available on the Bakery Audio [...]