Canterbury Commemoration Society

Come and see for yourself! Alluvia switch on and hand over on Sunday 22 September, Westgate bridge, 6.30pm.

Hurry! Just 5 tickets left for Charlotte Cornell's historic tour of Canterbury's pubs (+ free drink!) on Thursday 19th, 6 pm Westgate.
An event not to be missed as Charlotte reveals dozens of remarkable facts, including the mystery deep below Pret a manger!
Tickets:

Charlotte Cornell’s Celebrated “Interactive” Historical Pub Tour of Canterbury is back! Charlotte’s long-awaited pub tour will take place this autumn (Thurs 19 Sept) at the more convenient time of 6 pm. Tickets previously bought still valid. Charlotte Cornell’s “Interactive” Historical Pub Tour of Canterbury A lively, original and utterly fascinating trip around the city by a r...

Know your city ... know your pubs?
HURRY! We have a few places left for Cllr Charlotte Cornell's fascinating historical tour of Canterbury's pubs - including free drink! - on Thursday 19 Sept 6.00 pm. Meet at Westgate. Walking shoes. Tickets: https://tinyurl.com/Cantpub

The wonderful new Alluvia is here!
Set in the River Stour below the Westgate, the magnificent LED-lit underwater statue, with hints of Shakespeare’s Ophelia, is the work of world-renowned creator of underwater sculptures Jason deCaires Taylor. The stunning piece of work is fitted with sensors to measure the health of the water flowing over it. Curated by the Canterbury Commemoration Society and most generously funded by local businessmen Paul Abbott and Paul Roberts, it is to be presented to the City as addition to our already rich offering of cultural and historical attractions.

We are hoping to hold public readings of the plays of HUGH WALPOLE. Can anyone suggest where we can get hold of the scripts? Thank you.

Next up ... Charlotte Cornell's historical, interactive tour of Canterbury's ancient pubs! Come and be guided by the expert AND enjoy free beer or equivalent.
Thursday 19 Sept 6 pm. Meet: Westgate.
Hurry - places limited!
Tickets and further info: https://tinyurl.com/Cantpub

Tonight (4 Sept): Free open public reading of Somerset Maugham's For Services Rendered St Peter's Anglican church 7 pm. The play (1932) is set in 'Rambleston, a small country town in Kent near the cathedral city of Stanbury.'

The first major event of what promises to be an annus mirabilis for the Society will be the installation of Jason deCaires Taylor's spectacular led-lit replacement for the smashed Alluvia statues in the River Stour. https://underwatersculpture.com/
Jason is doing this work for a fraction of his usual fee, and we are fortunate indeed that a world-famous artist is prepared to support his local community in this manner. And we are similarly indebted to Paul Abbott and Paul Roberts for enabling the work to go ahead.
Stand by for the launch!

There has been talk of a 'Wine Roundabout' commemorating Canterbury's position at the heart of the burgeoning UK wine industry. Here is a suggestion from Haro, the centre of the Rioja wine region.

The next six months with CCS: two unveilings, four readings, two talks, a walk and a party ... Come and join us if you share our belief that the present and the future flow seamlessly from the past. www.cantcommsoc.co.uk

Last night the Society held its AGM at St Peter’s Anglican Church. After the AGM, Professor Dan Cohn-Sherbok gave a stimulating lecture to a packed assembly on the history of the Jews in Canterbury. This was the first of our Michael Steed Memorial Lectures. Here Stewart Ross, the Society's chair, is introducing the speaker.

An Evening to Remember
Held in the glorious grounds of St Augustine’s Abbey (thanks to English Heritage and their wonderful staff), the CCS annual summer party was a grand success. The Chair and Vice-chair risked their lives by illustrating why the Victorians cancelled Aphra Behn, while sweet music played, wine flowed, stomachs filled, and glittering prizes won as chatter and laughter floated into the evening air.

As we recently read Marlowe's Dr Faustus, this should interest members & friends.

Kind coverage from Kent Messenger about our Alluvia project:

Sculptor’s offer as famous Kent river statues damaged beyond repair A pair of long-admired mystical statues submerged in a Kent river have been found to be damaged beyond repair.

Our rich artistic heritage ... should be of interest to members and followers.

We are holding a free public reading TS Eliot's celebrated Murder in the Cathedral on Wed 26 June, 7 pm in St Peter's Anglican church. All welcome to come & read or simply listen.
Tickets:

Public reading of TS Eliot’s Murder in the Cathedral FREE PUBLIC READING OF MURDER IN THE CATHEDRAL (1935) BY TS ELIOT The fourth in this season’s readings of plays linked to the city of Canterbury is TS Eliot’s 20th century classic verse drama, Murder in the Cathedral. ALL WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE – no previous experience needed FREE – but plea...

Inaugural Michael Steed Memorial Lecture
We are delighted to announce an annual Michael Steed Memorial Lecture, honouring the founder and driving force of our society for more than twenty years.
A bequest from Michael will help fund a new memorial in the castle grounds to all those who died for their faith in Canterbury over the centuries.
Accordingly it is especially appropriate that the first lecture in the series will be delivered by Professor Dan Cohn-Sherbok on ‘The Jews of Canterbury'.
Tuesday 2 July 2024, 7.30 pm in St Peter’s Anglican Church
(following the CCS AGM). Free for members, others £5.00.
We do hope all members, friends and supporters of heritage and toleration will join us. www,cantcommsoc.co.uk

Hurry! In the next three days we have to give numbers to the team providing our 3-course meal for the CCS Summer Party & FUNdraisingraffle : BOOK NOW on www.cantcommsoc.co.uk/events Just £10.00 for members (£15.00 others), so why not join us? Great cause - the only charity dedicated to our city's heritage.

Look what has just arrived for our Summer Party raffle, kindly presented by Lewis Norris! I thought is was a magnum. But no, it's a Goliath! Tickets here: https://www.cantcommsoc.co.uk/upcoming-events/

Broken Alluvia!
When Jason Taylor removed the Alluvia statues from the Stour to repair them, he found that dredging had smashed them beyond repair. Nothing daunted he has most kindly agreed to replace them with a new, single, Ophelia-esque figure made from recycled glass and lit with spectacular LED lighting. Brilliant! She will be installed in September.

So much going on!
Aphra Behn's Amorous Prince on Wed 12th
TS Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral on Wed 26th
Summer Party on Fri 28
AGM & talk on the Jews of Canterbury on 2 July
Come and join us for some or all - and join the Society if you have not already done so.
All info here:

Upcoming Events Events listing Events Please bookmark this page and check from time to time as details may change and further events are likely to be added. Members are also invited to keep an eye open for events organised by partner organisations: The Canterbury Branch of the Historical Association, The Canterbury...

This is bound to interest all Aphra fans - local author on local hero!

YOU CAN WIN one of our wonderful Summer Party raffle prizes by buying tickets online: https://www.cantcommsoc.co.uk/product/2024-summer-fundraising-raffle/ Prizes include:
week by Exeter's historic quay, magnum of whisky, Whitstable beach hut for the weekend, dish of Italian delicacies, hamper of delicious goodies, meals for 2 in three different city restaurants, etc.
Tickets for the party itself (music & fun) here: https://www.cantcommsoc.co.uk/event/ccs-special-annual-summer-party-with-fundraising-raffle/

There is a conference running at the University of Kent, during the first week of July - all about Aphra and her era.

As part of the conference there are four public lectures and a trip to Westminster Abbey (to lay flowers on Behn’s grave) that the public can book onto.

Sound exciting! Details here:

https://www.cantcommsoc.co.uk/event/public-lectures-on-aphra-a-trip-to-westminster-abbey/

Canterbury's World Heritage Site Co-ordinator - exciting and rewarding part-time job opportunity for heritage fans!
Paste this link into your browser to find out more:
https://staffspace.canterbury.ac.uk/ce0226li_webrecruitment/wrd/run/etrec179gf.open?WVID=902714Bjox&LANG=USA

Our annual FUNdraising summer party is on Friday28 June 2024. Feast, fun, music, raffle, readings. All in the delightful setting of St Augustine's Abbey, by kind permission of English Heritage.
Book now: wwwcantcommsoc.co.uk/events

The second of our free, open readings of plays by Canterbury playwrights will be Christopher Marlowe's Edward II. All welcome to listen or participate (no experience or thespian talent required - just a love of / interest in theatre).
Thursday 30 May, 7 pm, St Peter's Anglican Church, Canterbury.
Full details on www.cantcommsoc.co.uk/events

She's alive! Aphra Behn, young, fit and healthy, walked out of the foundry this morning. What a sight! After all that work over 2 years and enabled by the help and generosity of so many ... thank you all very, very much. Next step - High Street asap.