Running from Wednesday 16th November, all the way until Saturday afternoon, the heritage festival, held at Burnby Hall Gardens, saw hundreds of visitors immersing themselves in our fantastic local heritage here in Pocklington.
The festival was kicked off by the conference. Talks were given by Paula Ware, York Archaeological Trust and Historic England, and our very own Peter Halkon, trustee and local archaeologist. These were received with much praise and plenty of support for our cause – a museum in Pocklington to house our spectacular artefacts. At this event alone, around 100 attended.
On Thursday, a day was set aside to welcome schoolchildren into the Hall. They were to be given a talk by chairman Phil, enjoy a few educational activities, and get the chance to see some artefacts from their local area. The Iron Age is a part of the curriculum at primary level, so the chance to see some real-life stuff from the time period they read about in the classroom is a brilliant opportunity that we couldn’t let go. Unfortunately the weather prevented the children from being able to walk to the Hall, but Phil opted to take a selection of artefacts and activities to the school, and gave the talk there instead.
Friday night saw the hall come alive with a performance given by Haigha, a wonderfully immersive performance which transports the audience to the time of the Vikings. Stories are brought to life with music and dance. The room was mesmerised by this fantastically unusual and creative piece. This was preceded by a feast informed only by the archaeological record – the only ingredients were those to be found in Iron Age Britain. This was followed by entertainment from folk band Shiftipig. The mead flowed freely and Pocklington’s residents gained a taste of life in Iron Age Pocklington.
Finally, day 4 saw the heritage festival invite children and families into the Hall for a day of activities and learning. The pop-up museum remained firmly in place to showcase the Trust’s fantastic collection spanning thousands of years. Faces of all ages were glued to the cabinets, gazing at our axeheads, brooches, pots, and more. Perhaps the most successful activity put on by the Trust itself was the Iron Age pot-making activity. Children were given a ball of clay each and taught to make a ‘thumb-pot,’ before being equipped with only natural materials with which to decorate it. They were sent home with this as a souvenir of the day. Children enjoyed working in our Trust-produced children’s activity booklets, which include colouring in, archaeological sorting activities, and more. A table was covered in ancient coins, pots, and arrowheads all for handling. In the centre of the room, just next to the stocks, were two sandpits with real archaeological artefacts and trowels for children to have a go at excavation.
(Photograph taken by Sean Quinn)
Stamford Bridge Heritage Society also attended, bringing a further myriad of activities such as a quern stone, bracelet making, object handling, and more. Their stall proved to be a hit, with children enjoying touching their impressive collection of axes and sheepskins, knives, and combs. The Society’s trustees were dressed up themselves in Iron Age garb, only adding to their eye-catching display. It was a pleasure to host them at the Hall.
Overall, the festival was a complete success. If you attended, and you agree that we need a museum (we really do!), please sign our petition linked here.
