1) Margaret of Anjou (French: Marguerite; 23 March 1430 – 25 August 1482) was a fascinating character, much maligned by Shakespeare, but by any measures an extraordinary woman in a time dominated by men. Margaret was the Queen of England by marriage to King Henry VI from 1445 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471. Born in the Duchy of Lorraine into the House of Valois-Anjou, Margaret was the second eldest daughter of René, King of Naples, and Isabella, Duchess of Lorraine.
2) She was one of the principal figures in the series of dynastic civil wars known as the Wars of the Roses and at times personally led the Lancastrian faction. Owing to her husband’s frequent bouts of insanity, Margaret ruled the kingdom in his place. It was she who called for a Great Council in May 1455 that excluded the Yorkist faction headed by Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York, and this provided the spark that ignited a civil conflict that lasted for more than 30 years, decimated the old nobility of England, and caused the deaths of thousands of men, including her only son Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales, at the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471.
3) In events leading to the battle of Tewkesbury, the actions of the city of Gloucester in turning her and her troops away at the South Gate are claimed by many to have been decisive in deciding the results of the battle and the war.

Proposal

4) To commemorate the 550th anniversary of the turning away of Margaret of Anjou at South Gate at we are proposing a week-long festival will be held in Gloucester. One key element to this will be the reconstruction of the South Gate and part of the wall on Kimbrose Triangle. This would provide a backdrop and performance space for many of the other activities and provide a valuable link activity area between city centre and docks. The team at Marketing Gloucester are working up a plan with partners including Tewkesbury medieval festival.  We are delighted to confirm that early support has been committed to the infrastructure by Gloucester BID who see the huge benefits of increased visitor numbers through the year. We are very happy to hear from anyone who would like to be involved and envisage that the History Festival in September could be an important part of the celebrations. Currently we have partners involved in the following, or who are investigating:

a) Building of replica South Gate and part of the wall at Kimbrose triangle, with this to also provide performance space to the North Side, and be suitable for other uses during the year, including Gloucester Day

b) Re-enactment celebrating the anniversary in 2021 including a potential march from Gloucester to Tewkesbury. Timing to be around Tewkesbury Medieval Festival second week of July with possible additional events 3rd May 2021
c) Original Play on Margaret of Anjou (possibly outdoors at Kimbrose Triangle)
d) New devoted Margaret of Anjou Website
e) Partnership with the other towns/cities connected with Margaret of Anjou particularly Tewkesbury
f) Series of Talks on Margaret of Anjou (Glos Hist Fest)
g) Medieval Fayre
h) Medieval Banquet at the Cathedral
i) Museum exhibition regarding Margaret of Anjou and Gloucester’s importance in war of the roses (Richard III)
j) Schools education piece/competition
k) Civic Trust walking tours
l) Archaeology TBC Andrew Armstrong
m) Performance of series of William Shakespeare’s 1st Tetralogy of History plays, which include Margaret of Anjou: Henry VI, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Richard III. She is the only character to appear alive in all four plays.
o) Further uses for gate, including morphing for use during Civil War re-enactment and Gloucester Day

Background

5) Battle of Tewkesbury – King Edward realized that the Lancastrians were seeking to cross the River Severn into Wales. The nearest crossing point they could use was at the city of Gloucester. He sent urgent messages to the Governor, Sir Richard Beauchamp, ordering him to bar the gates to Margaret and man the city’s defences. When Margaret arrived on the morning of 3 May, Beauchamp refused her summons to let her army pass, and she realized that there was insufficient time to storm the city before Edward’s army arrived. Instead, her army made another forced march of 10 miles (16 km) to Tewkesbury, attempting to reach the next bridge at Upton-upon-Severn, 7 miles (11 km) further on. Edward meanwhile had marched no less than 31 miles (50 km), passing through Cheltenham (then little more than a village) in the late afternoon. The day was very hot, and both the Lancastrians and Edward’s pursuing army were exhausted. The Lancastrians were forced to abandon some of their artillery, which was captured by Yorkist reinforcements following from Gloucester.
6) At Tewkesbury the tired Lancastrians halted for the night. Most of their army were footmen and unable to continue further without rest, and even the mounted troops were weary. By contrast, King Edward’s army was composed mainly of mounted men, who nevertheless dismounted to fight on foot as most English armies did during this period. Hearing from his “prickers” or mounted scouts of Margaret’s position, Edward drove his army to make another march of 6 miles (9.7 km) from Cheltenham, finally halting 3 miles (4.8 km) from the Lancastrians. The Lancastrians knew they could retreat no further before Edward attacked their rear, and that they would be forced to give battle.
7) Margaret was taken prisoner by the victorious Yorkists after the Lancastrian defeat at Tewkesbury. In 1475, she was ransomed by her cousin, King Louis XI of France. She went to live in France as a poor relation of the French king, and she died there at the age of 52

Depictions in Fiction
8) Margaret is a major character in William Shakespeare’s 1st Tetralogy of History plays. Henry VI, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Richard III. She is the only character to appear alive in all four plays. Shakespeare portrays Margaret as an intelligent, ruthless woman who easily dominates her husband and fiercely vies for power with her enemies. In Henry VI, Part 2 Margaret has an affair with the Duke of Suffolk and mourns his death by carrying around his severed head. In Henry VI, Part 3 she personally stabs the Duke of York on the battlefield (after humiliatingly taunting him) and becomes suicidal when her son Edward is killed in front of her. Despite the fact that Margaret spent the rest of her life outside England after the death of her husband and son, Shakespeare has her return to the court in Richard III. Margaret serves as a Cassandra-like prophetess; in her first appearance she dramatically curses the majority of the nobles for their roles in the downfall of the House of Lancaster. All of her curses come to pass as the noblemen are betrayed and executed by Richard of Gloucester, and each character reflects on her curse before his execution. Shakespeare had famously described Margaret : “How ill-beseeming is it in thy sex/ To triumph like an Amazonian trull/ Upon their woes whom Fortune captivates.”[27]

9) Margaret is the title character of Giacomo Meyerbeer’s 1820 opera Margherita d’Anjou.

10) In the 1963 production by the Royal Shakespeare Company of The Wars of the Roses, broadcast by the BBC in 1965 and 1966, Margaret was played by Peggy Ashcroft. In the second series of The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses, a three-part television adaptation of the Tetralogy first broadcast in 2016, Margaret was portrayed by Sophie Okonedo.
11) Margaret of Anjou has an important role in Bulwer-Lytton’s The Last of the Barons (1843).
12) Margaret of Anjou is the main character in Barnaby Ross’s 1966 novel, The Passionate Queen – Barnaby Ross was a publisher’s house name for historical novels written by various authors, among them Don Tracy, who wrote The Passionate Queen.
13) Margaret of Anjou is the subject of Betty King’s 1974 biographical novel Margaret of Anjou – a sympathetic portrayal.
14) Margaret of Anjou is an important character in Sir Walter Scott’s 1829 novel Anne of Geierstein, where she appears disguised as a beggar following her exile.
15) Margaret of Anjou is the main character in Jean Plaidy’s 1982 novel The Red Rose of Anjou.
16) Margaret of Anjou is the important character in the early parts of Sharon Kay Penman’s 1982 novel The Sunne in Splendour, up until the Battle of Tewkesbury.
17) Margaret of Anjou is the subject of Alan Savage’s 1994 novel Queen of Lions, a portrayal which imagines she had an exceptionally active sex life.
18) Margaret of Anjou is one of the major characters in The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory (2011), narrated by Jacquetta of Luxembourg.
19) She also appears in The White Queen by Philippa Gregory (2009), narrated by Elizabeth Woodville.
20) She is mentioned in The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory (2010), narrated by Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby.
21) She also appears in The Kingmaker’s Daughter by Philippa Gregory (2012), narrated by Anne Neville.
22) Margaret of Anjou is the main character in Susan Higginbotham’s 2011 novel The Queen of Last Hopes – a sympathetic portrayal.
23) Margaret of Anjou is a major subject in Stormbird, the first book of Conn Iggulden’s trilogy about The Wars of the Roses.
24) She also is the subject of a fictional biography, The Royal Tigress by a fictional character, David Powlett-Jones who is the main subject of To Serve Them All My Days, R.F. Delderfield’s novel of a Welsh schoolmaster at a Devon public school from World War I to the Battle of Britain in the 1940s. Delderfield, in the person of Powlett-Jones, appears to have a very good grasp of Margaret’s life and the Wars of the Roses, and the content and development of the book give us an entertaining sub-plot to the book’s main narrative.
25) In the television series The White Queen (2013), based on Gregory’s The Cousins’ War novels, Margaret of Anjou is portrayed by Veerle Baetens.

Potential partners
26) Tewkesbury Medieval Festival
27) Museum of Gloucester
28) Gloucester City Council
29) Gloucester Heritage Forum
30) Gloucester History Festival
31) Gloucester Music Festival
32) Gloucester BID/ Marketing Gloucester
33) Strike a light
34) Gloucester Culture Trust
35) G15+
36) Gloucester BID
37) Richard III society
38) Others..

Links
39) http://www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/margaretanjou.htm
40) http://www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/margaret-robber.htm
41) http://nicolequinnnarrates.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-legend-of-queen-margaret-of-anjou.html
42) http://dangerouswomenproject.org/2016/06/11/margaret-of-anjou/

For enquiries please contact Karen@marketinggloucester.co.uk or Natasha@marketinggloucester.co.uk

Water City Music, Gloucestershire Academy of Music and Marketing Gloucester are joining forces to bring a magical extra dimension to this year’s Gloucester Tall Ships and Adventure Festival.

Visitor numbers to the historic Gloucester Docks reach 200,000 over the weekend (May 25^th to 27^th) attracting visitors from across the UK and the Water City Music programme will see children and other musical groups perform on three stages around the docks.

Led by Gloucestershire based artistic director Michael Bochmann, Water City Music stages musical events – of assorted size and scale – at striking water-based venues across the UK.   The annual flagship Tower of London Festival each June has, in recent years, involved over 1,800 musicians and 60 schools performing for huge numbers of daily visitors and it is hoped that similar success can now be spread to the Gloucester event.

The Water City Music day will be held on the Saturday of the Bank Holiday weekend (25^th) with massed choirs put together from Gloucestershire schools to perform songs on one of the stages whilst smaller performing groups will have 20 to 30 minute slots to entertain the thousands of visitors.  In the run up to the event schools will receive expert guidance from Gloucester choral specialist Vicki Field.

A third stage will be used to showcase the Gloucestershire GAMELAN, an amazing orchestra of Indonesian percussion instruments bringing the music of the rainforest right to the water’s edge of Gloucester’s historic docks; with free workshops and performances taking place throughout the day.

County schools and performing groups are invited to join the event by enquiring directly with admin@wcm.org.uk or via Gloucestershire Academy of Music.

All participants in the Water City Music festival will get free access to the Tall Ships & Adventure event and free access for 1 accompanying adult.  We look forward to seeing you there.

The Water City Music organisation is an entirely self-funding body relying on grants, sponsorship and fundraising to sustain its events and programmes. Every penny we raise goes back into expanding our reach, putting on bigger and better events and more sustainable programmes.  Local businesses are invited to contact the charity (admin@wcm.org.uk) to discuss sponsorship and profile-raising opportunities.

http://watercitymusic.com/

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At the time of writing that article there were many cynics who thought that this was just another project that was “jam tomorrow”.  Anyone who sees the completed project  will be delighted by the speed of the conclusion of this project and particularly the fantastic job done by Architects BDP led by Neil Sansum, Kier Construction and all the partners involved, not least GFirst LEP for providing funding and the team at Gloucester City Council .  Whatever your political views there is also no doubt that Leader and cabinet member for regeneration Cllr Paul James  led on this project and should be commended for his efforts in the continued regeneration of Gloucester. What particularly has been satisfying is to see how Architects BDP listened closely to those who wanted this building to be grounded in its place and be recognisable as distinctly Gloucester.  In many peoples opinion it is a beautiful modern building that through the use of limestone and a future installation of stained glass will tie it into the city. Now we are in a similar position with Kings Quarter as we were when I wrote the article in 2015.  Once again I have confidence that this regeneration will come to pass, since much of the funding is in place and the City Council now own almost all the plots that need development.  However once again I believe that before the diggers go in it would be well to reflect on what we want from Kings Quarter – something that is just better, or something that is good or even great?  Below are some images from the recent application which demonstrate current thinking on design.

Business rate reduction
Business rates for retailers with a rateable value of up to £51,000 will be cut by one third for the next two years, potentially benefitting almost 500,000 businesses and saving them around £900 million. Local Authorities will be fully compensated for the loss of income. The cut takes effect immediately in England but will need to be agreed in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
High Street Fund
A £675m Future High Streets Fund was announced to support local areas in England to prepare long term strategies for their high streets and town centres and then co-fund investment in town centre infrastructure, including to increase access to high streets and support redevelopment and densification around high streets through allowing investment in land assembly. The Fund will also support the regeneration of heritage high streets (up to £55m of the overall Fund). The expectation is that local authorities will partner with the private sector to develop proposals. The Fund is for High Street change not for adding additional retail space. Full details of the Fund will be announced by the year end but further information is available in a Department fact sheet

High Street Taskforce
The Fund will also support a new High Streets Taskforce that will support local leadership, providing high streets and town centres expert advice to adapt and thrive. This will provide hands-on support to local areas to develop data-driven innovative strategies and connect local areas to relevant experts. This will be launched early next year.
Planning consultation
A planning consultation opened yesterday to help support change on the high street. It is for England only and runs until 14 January 2019. This aims to make it easier for high streets to adapt for the future, with a wider range of retail, residential and other uses, looking at conversion of retail space to homes or offices and the potential for mixed use schemes. A second consultation will be published soon, including how to support the more effective use of tools such as Compulsory Purchase Orders and Local Development Orders.
Commercial property register
A register of empty commercial properties to support wider regeneration of our high streets and town centres is to be piloted.
Community use pilot
An ‘Open Doors’ pilot in five town centres to bring empty properties back into use by matching landlords of vacant premises with local community groups looking for space will be launched.
Public toilets
Standalone public toilets, however owned, will be no longer pay business rates. This covers 3,500 premises but will need legislation to introduce.
Transforming city fund
This has been increased to £2.4 billion and includes an extra £90 million for on demand buses
Belfast recovery
£2 million allocated to Belfast to help recovery from the Primark fire.
Digital Services Tax

Comes into force in April 2020 and expected to raise £400 million and only applies to companies generating more than £500 million per annum through the taxable business lines. This would include Amazon and other online marketplaces.
Immediate highway activities

£420 million made immediately available to local authorities for pothole repair, bridge repairs and other minor works. To be spent this year.
Pubs

Beer, cider and spirit duty have been frozen in a move to support pubs, which are an important feature of many high streets. The British Beer and Pub Association has welcomed the announcement saying: “An early Christmas for pubs and pub goers, saving the trade more than £100 million and securing thousands of jobs.”

Note, all information taken from Institute of Place Management

The Gloucester Rhythm and Blues Festival (Saturday 21 – Sunday 29 July) takes over the city for a jam-packed festival of live music with nearly 70 live performances in the city’s pubs and cafes over nine days. The long-running festival opens with a special preview night (9pm Friday) at the Dick Whittington with the D. B. Smith Band. Then on Saturday, the festival kicks into overdrive with seven gigs including a performance from Blues supergroup Hipkiss, fronted by the 2012 British Blues Award-winning saxophonist, Patsy Gamble, and Muddy Manninen (ex-Wishbone Ash).

Highlights include former European Blues Challenge winners Max and Veronica from Milan, Innes Sibun Band, Buzzin’ Hornets, Oliver Darling And The Dirty Robbers, Storm Warning and the critically acclaimed Elles Bailey Band whose 2017 debut album ‘Wildfire’ earned rave reviews. Maverick Magazine gave ‘Wildfire’ top marks (5/5) calling every song ‘Fresh & Original’ and Blues In Britain reminding us that ‘It’s a fact that very few make it to the big stage but Elles Bailey has the necessary talent, the drive, and now the product.’ She has been nominated for this year’s Best Female Act at the European Blues Awards and has scooped another 4 nominations at the British Blues Awards.

On Wednesday 25 July, The Cross Keys Inn hosts the official Blues Festival Open Mic hosted by Mark Cole. Expect a few surprise guests popping in to play with the Sons of the Delta front man. On the closing weekend, both the Dick Whittington and Café Rene will have outdoor stages. The venues involved are:

• Angie’s Bar – Bull Lane
• Café René – Southgate Street
• Cross Keys Inn – Cross Keys Lane
• Dick Whittington – Westgate Street
• The Fountain Inn – Westgate Street
• Gloucester Brewery – Gloucester Docks
• The Old Bell – Southgate Street
• Peppers Café – Bull Lane
• The Tall Ship – Southgate Street
• Tank – Gloucester Docks

Gloucester Rhythm & Blues is a mainstay of Gloucester’s Summer of Music, Arts & Culture and is organised by Marketing Gloucester in association with Tim Porter and supported by Gloucester City Council.

The full schedule can be found at www.gloucesterblues.com

Amateur and professional artists hoping to compete for cash prizes are urged to sign up to this weekend’s WSP Art In City competitions before time runs out. WSP Art in the City celebrates creativity inspired by Gloucester’s history and heritage, its picturesque surroundings and its people. Easels and palettes will be dotted around Gloucester Cathedral and the historic Docks as promising Pablo Picassos and fledgling Frida Kahlos will be competing in the ‘Plein Air’ outdoor painting competition on Saturday 14 July. In the Open Art competition, artists will be displaying past work inside the Cathedral’s ornate cloisters for the judges’ consideration. Both contests are offering a first prize of £1,000, £500 for runners up and £250 for the student prize. There is also a family competition where a whole clan can collaborate on a piece of art! The judging panel includes art historian and BBC broadcaster, Dr Janina Ramirez; WSP Art In the City artistic director, Russell Haines; and Stroud-based abstract artist, Ed Swarez.

There are citywide artists’ exhibitions including one from former England cricketer, Jack Russell MBE (celebrating his 30^th anniversary as a professional artist), in St Michael’s Tower; a group exhibition in Debenhams, and many more in Gloucester’s shopping centres, churches and public buildings. Visit www.artinthecity.org.uk/exhibitions for the full list of artists and locations.

To keep the children happy, there are free art workshops taking place Saturday and Sunday at 38 Westgate Street (on the corner of College Court) where you can learn a whole range of artistic crafts. All workshops are free and do not require any booking – just turn up! A fabulous Artisan Street Market will pitch up in the Gate Street and feature arts, crafts, food and drink on both days.

Artistic director of the festival, Russell Haines, said: “This year’s WSP Art in the City will see Gloucester turned into one huge art space with exhibitions, competitions and workshops for everyone. I hope many people will come out in the beautiful weather (perfect light for painting!) and take part in the competitions and workshops, perhaps producing a masterpiece of this magnificent city.”

WSP Art in the City is sponsored by WSP Solicitors and organised by Marketing Gloucester as part of SoMAC – Gloucester’s Summer of Music, Arts and Culture.

Contestants can register at www.artinthecity.org.uk/competition.

For more information on artists involved, exhibitions, workshops and the market visit  www.artinthecity.org.uk.

For more information, please contact ben@marketinggloucester.co.uk.

ENDS.

Everything you need to know about Art In The City

Competitions

PLEIN AIR COMPETITION (OUTDOOR PAINTING) 

Whether it’s iconic landmarks such as the magnificent Gloucester Cathedral, the picturesque Victorian Docks, or street scenes of everyday life, artists will be competing in this exciting event for all to see.

The finished pieces will be displayed in an exhibition with judges awarding prizes to the best work for each category. Contestants’ artwork will be judged by the panel on the evening of Saturday 14 July 2018. The judges will be looking at which artworks best capture the spirit of the city.

Winner £1000

Runner up £500

Student £250

OPEN ART COMPETITION 

Anybody can enter this competition and each artist can submit up to 3 entries, as long as they have been completed within the last 3 years. The pieces can be any theme or medium and all submissions will be displayed in Gloucester Cathedral Cloisters and Cloister Gardens, depending on the weather.

Winner £1000

Runner Up £500

Student £250

FAMILY COMPETITION

All new for WSP Art In The City 2018, an exciting new category – the family category. It invites families to participate in the creation of a piece of art, contestants can either create one piece between the whole family or each individual family member can create their own piece and the pieces will be judged collectively. There will be prizes of £25 Gift Cards for the 10 best entries.

COMMUNITY COMPETITION

Another exciting new category for this year is the Community Group Competition – a chance for 15 community groups to create an artwork with the theme “My Community”

They have been given FREE materials courtesy of Gloucester City Council, Marketing Gloucester and Jackson’s Art Supplies and will compete to win the £500 prize for the best entry.

Cllr Jennie Watkins, who came up with the idea, will announce the winner on the evening Saturday 14th July at the Ivor Gurney Hall (Kings School).

EXHIBITIONS AND WORKSHOPS

A full list and a map can be found in the accompanying leaflet.