The 24th EDC Festival takes us to the historic city of Stratford upon Avon, set in the beautiful countryside of south Warwickshire.  Stratford itself is the birthplace of William Shakespeare, whose old school provides us with a modern venue for our meeting.  Close by are Kenilworth and Warwick Castles and many attractive towns and villages, well worth a visit. 

The weekend’s proceedings will commence on Friday evening, at 7.45 p.m. in the King Edward VI School, with an illustrated talk by Tanya Elliott, costume historian and interpreter, on The Recreation of Mary Tudor’s Wedding Dress.  Her talk will not only be illustrated with slides but also the actual dress, a recreation of the one in which  Mary married Philip of Spain in 1554.

Note that if you wish to eat before the talk, there are several cafés and restaurants nearby but that the Mop Fair will still be in progress and the town rather crowded!

Saturday’s Festival will be held in the Levi Fox Hall of King Edward VI School and will run from 2 p.m. to 5.45 p.m.  The Festival will be preceded by the AGM, at 1.15.   As usual, we invite all members to be there as your input is valuable to us.  Following the tradition of previous Festivals, presentations by groups and solo dancers will alternate with periods of general dancing.  Hot and cold drinks will be available throughout the day.  A sandwich Lunch will also be provided but must be ordered in advance.  Please fill in the relevant part of the Form.  The evening meal at 6.30 includes a vegetarian option.  This must also be booked in advance.

There will be tables available for those who wish to sell their products. These must be booked in advance:  a fee of £5.00 should be paid when booking your table.

The evening dancing, in lively country dance mode, will be led by Barbara Dunn, with music by Up Jumped the Devil! - so simply come and enjoy yourselves. 

On Sunday morning, there will be an opportunity to explore Stratford on a Guided Walk.  This must be booked in advance to benefit from the reduced price.  A City Sightseeing open top bus is also available throughout the day.   For further information, contact the Stratford upon Avon Tourist Information Centre on 0870 160 7930 or their website - www.shakespeare-country.co.uk

NB.  Accommodation in Stratford will be at a premium because the Mop Fair will run throughout Thursday and Friday.  Roads will all be clear by Saturday morning. 

Further information about the Festival will be available from Karen Morgan.