Trafalgar Day was celebrated in style in Woodmancote.

Woodmancote Parish Council organised a musical evening, free of charge for the families and friends of the parish. Trafalgar Day, Friday 21st October 2005 was a wet and blustery evening, but everyone gathered together under the warmth of 3 large dry carpeted marquees, bedecked as Woodmancote’s own ‘HMS Victory’. Vice Admiral Lord Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar in 1805, was celebrated in style by Woodmancote with its own ‘Last Night at the Proms’.

The evening started at 7:15pm with the lighting of 5 rockets and a beacon on Cleeve Hill. This joined the UK’s Beacon Chain, started by the lighting of a beacon by the Queen at Portsmouth. Ian Idris ‘Thomas the Rhymer’ then piped the audience on board with a rendition of ‘Drunken Sailor’.

The Gloucestershire Youth Orchestra, with conductor John Gillett-Smith, then provided the audience with a stunning selection of popular and nautical music performed to the highest standards. They started with a resounding performance of ‘Big Country’ and concluded with Woodmancote’s the ever popular, Jerusalem, Rule Britannia and Elgar’s Land of Hope and Glory. There was much hearty singing by the crew on all the decks; Orlop, Poop, Gun Deck and Quarterdeck.

For those who had not brought their own picnics or those who wanted to top up their picnics, hot and cold refreshments were available in the ‘mess’ from our local caterer Adam Hands.

There was a lucky programme draw and those who bought a programme, printed free of charge by Chelsea Building Society, had the opportunity to win memorabilia purchased from Royal Worcester and Portsmouth’s historic dockyard. There was also a Trafalgar Day quiz in the programme and the winner received a commemorative Royal Worcester mug.

There were various displays around the ‘ship’. People could read about the history of Trafalgar, see the list of Gloucestershire crew that were on board HMS Victory during the Battle of Trafalgar, admire the pictures drawn by the school children from Woodmancote Primary School and be impressed by the splendid ‘HMS Victory’ complete with sails, created by Woodmancote Pre-School children and helpers.

The finale was memorable. By 10pm, the wind had dropped, the rain had stopped and Sandling provided a spectacular display of unusual and colourful fireworks.

Everyone gathered up their hammocks and sailed back home with a warm feeling of contentment and community spirit.

The Parish Council and helpers have received many verbal and written thanks.
This historic event had provided a unique opportunity to put on a village event for all to enjoy, from a few months to 100 years old, and it will now always be remembered in Woodmancote’s history.

Grateful thank go to Woodmancote Parish Council for bringing the community together.

As a more lasting reminder, a commemorative Trafalgar Oak, purchased from the Woodland Trust and sourced from native Oaks in British seaports, has been planted in the playing fields. This Oak tree could live for 100 years …

Our grateful thanks go to the following organisations and businesses, without them the event could not have happened:-
Awards for All Lottery, Woodmancote Parish Council, Woodmancote Society, Crest Nicholson (South West) Ltd, Cheltenham & Gloucester PLC, Woodmancote May Day, Woodmancote WI, Abbey Business Equipment, Grundon, Just Software Ltd and finally Chelsea Building Society who printed the invitations and our programme.

You can download program pages here and here

Trafalgar Day Pictures

Click on the thumbnail to see full size