Such it is that this time last week I found myself in the centre of Northampton attending something which I had been aware of for a long time but had never been able to engage with, mostly because of work. The Something was of Northampton and relates its own history.
The name ‘Oak Apple Day’ could not unreasonably be expected to conjure up light-hearted images of Ye Olde England involving Morris Dancers and cider or maybe something autumnal – not a time from centuries ago and an event which caused great distress in the town, references to the English Civil War and Northampton’s relationship with the monarchy. And yet, the annual Oak Apple Day commemoration on the 29th of May here is of all of those things.
The date itself is not unique to Northampton or even the county, marking as it does the 1660 return to the throne from exile by Charles the 2nd. Allegiances and differences aside, the town has good reason for gratitude towards the King after his own personal generosity following one of the most cataclysmic single events of the period to befall it.
On the 20th of September 1675, sparks from an open fire in St Mary’s Street close to the then castle accidentally set light to surrounding buildings. The resulting conflagration burned the greater part of the mostly timber built county town to the ground. The Fire of London might have predated our own in 1666 and drawn greater headlines, but events in Pudding Lane were to prove no less calamitous than our own great fire nine years later.
The King’s generosity towards the town afterwards included not only providing a thousand tons of timber to help primarily with the rebuilding of All Saints Church itself, but also halving the town’s state taxes for seven years. It is for no small reason, therefore, that there is a statue to the man atop the church’s portico and which is ceremonially adorned every year by having a wreath placed around its neck by the presiding town mayor. The wreathing ceremony is precisely that – a ceremony which celebrates history, calls to mind the fire itself and Northampton’s relationship with Charles 2nd.
This year’s ceremony was effectively business as usual – except it wasn’t. Following a fantastic, full choir service inside All Saints (complete with one of the best sermons I’ve ever witnessed and delivered by the Right Reverend and Right Honourable Lord Chartres GVCO), the congregation stepped outside to join a gathered crowd - a wider audience listened on N-Live Radio.
Councillor Jane Birch mounted a step ladder placed (and anchored there carefully by unseen helping hands – it was a windy day) on the roof of the portico and very carefully positioned this year’s wreath around the neck of the statue. Having done so to applause, she returned to the safety of the ground while the Lord Lieutenant and High Sheriff inspected members of the local army cadet force as well as a number of invited Pikemen and Musketeers from the Honourable Artillery Company – Britain’s oldest serving army regiment. Its Captain General is, appropriately, Charles the 3rd.
After a toast, the consumption of cake, mead and savouries from Jeyes of Earls Barton, the national anthem was sung and the Musketeers loosed off a loud volley to signify the end of proceedings. Normality then returned.
This year’s ceremony was different partly in terms of its scale and also its content, noting that 350 years have elapsed since the great fire took place. We don’t often experience musket fire in the centre of the town – presumably it caught a few people out, but it, the rich uniforms and content in the service all pointed towards what will be months of events commemorating the historic great fire. Even the portico columns of All Saints Church have been given a temporary but resplendent makeover. Planning has taken a long time and people from across the community of the county have been involved – all credit to them.
Unlike the cynical arson attack over the weekend on St James Retail Park – and another elsewhere recently – the fire of 1675 was a devastating accident from which the town regrouped and recovered, aided by monarchical support. Ceremonies such as that of Oak Apple Day point toward resilience and determination - it is right to observe them. They are not only history lessons from the past – they are the history lessons from OUR past as well.
Lessons from which we can still learn.