In September, as part of the national celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the 1918 Representation of the People Act, which granted suffrage to women over 30 in the UK, the Winchester Heritage Open Days team has organised more than 40 free events in and around Winchester. These events will be putting the spotlight on some of the national and community heroines whose history has been overlooked or forgotten and Extraordinary Women will be honoured through talks, walks and exhibitions. The gathering of many of the speakers and event organisers at the Great Hall on Friday 22nd June saw the launch of this year’s festival programme.
Extraordinary Women - Photo Shoot
Winchester Heritage Open Days is one of the city’s most popular festivals, running over four days from 13th to 16th September and offering free events for the whole community. This year will feature guided walks, wine & cider tastings, craft workshops, pop-up performances, living history, exhibitions and the much loved behind-the-scenes visits to some of Winchester's historic buildings, many of which are not normally open to the public. Festival Director, Nicky Gottlieb commented:
“This year’s Heritage Open Days festival is bigger than anything we’ve put on so far. We’ve grown year on year, and the support from the local community is overwhelming. Last year, over 10,000 attended our events, and this year, with more than 100 free events, we hope many more will enjoy what’s on offer. We are very grateful for the support of Winchester College, the City of Winchester Trust, our local councils and many other businesses and volunteers who help make this happen.”
Details of all the events can be found here and the printed programme is available from Winchester Tourist Information Centre. Festival highlights include:
A chance to see and hear about Winchester's very own Shakespeare First Folio at Winchester College
Medieval Knights at The Westgate, Anglo Saxons & Vikings in the Cathedral Close, and the Sealed Knot at Oram's Arbour
Radio 4 Women’s Hour presenter Dame Jenni Murray in conversation with The Very Revd Catherine Ogle, Dean of Winchester about 'A History of the World in 21 Women'
General Sir Anthony Walker KCB leading a talk on 'What did you do in the War, Mummy'
2TimeTheatre's world premiere of ‘Sir Walter's Women’ at The Great Hall, and Blue Apple's 'Fragments of Winchester' at Pilgrims’ Hall