The line up for Hereford’s free history day on Saturday May 16th promises to make this a year to remember.
Organised by the county oral history group Herefordshire Lore, in conjunction with Herefordshire Libraries and the two-week long Herefordshire Histories Festival, the Hereford City History Day will host everything historical, from canal and cathedral builders, the Waterworks and the Women’s Land Army, to the Hereford Hoard, the stories behind the hiring fairs, and a specially built Wye coracle.
The History Day, now in its new accessible venue at St Peter’s Church, St Peter’s Square, Hereford, kicks off with a civic parade. While the sixteen-stall ‘history supermarket’ sets out its wares, county speakers Claire 0’Grady (Hiring Fairs), former SAS officer David Seeney (Herefordshire’s Secret Army) and Joe Kerr (Herefordshire Women through the Ages) will take to the stage at the City Library, across the road.
Local estate agents Thomas and Watkins have again supported the county’s Young Historian Award with a well worth cash prize; and for the first time, Hereford’s Ukrainian community will be joining the fun.
“The free Hereford History Day offers another opportunity for locals and visitors to explore the rich seam of history that runs through this fine county of ours,” according to David Hitchiner who heads up the fortnight long Herefordshire Histories Festival. “Along with our Festival, the Cathedral’s up and coming medieval festival in August, and the autumn Military Festival the county can truly be said to be making the most of its past.”
Hereford History Day opens on Saturday, May 16th at 10.30 and runs until 3pm.
