Let's party like it's 1887

Have you booked your place at the Aylsham Street Party for this year? Ever wondered why we have this fantastic community event? Well, the answer lies in an event which took place 139 years ago when the town held an enormous street party to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria.

Golden Jubilee celebrations in Aylsham Market Place 1887

The Golden Jubilee was celebrated with a large street party with lots of food and drink for all to enjoy. Everyone in the town was invited, and in order to ensure everyone could enjoy the celebrations, anyone who was elderly or infirm and couldn’t attend the event was sent a meal. 1785 people attended the event. As with all these things, a large number of people were involved in organising and preparing the day and we are very lucky that the memories of one of these people were written down so that we can appreciate how they went about the massive task.

The book ‘Memories of Aylsham’ by William Starling (who owned an ironmongers on Red Lion Street where the Old Tea Rooms and the Book Hive now stand) give some fantastic insights into the organisation of the event:

We had a meeting in the Town Hall, and elected a very large committee, and each member was supplied well with pencil and notebook. Each took a road or street, and entered in a column for people in health, and another column for people infirm and ill. I myself had the bottom of Town Lane and Commercial Road. It was very curious how people received you. One lady in particular asked me if I had come to insult her, she had never heard such a thing.  There was a family of five just the same, so I said, “Just tell me how many will be in the house on Coronation Day, and I will get along.” Now, after we had got the names of all the people, another list was made of the ill and infirm, and a few of the younger members were responsible for all their dinners to be sent to them.

William Frederick Starling 1851 – 1937 “Memories of Aylsham"

The Market Place itself was full of numbered trestle tables, and everyone was issued with a ticket telling them their table number and what they were required to bring with them – a knife, fork, spoon, plate and cup. Again, Starling’s memoirs help us to paint a picture of the event:

"There were trestle tables and forms covered with white calico (this was sold afterwards), decorated with flowers and looked very nice. The tables held 40 each, and three carvers. These carvers had to find their own waiters, and these waiters had to bring all the food out of the Town Hall on to the tables. I myself was a beer steward with the late William White and four others, whose names I forget. All round the Green Room were standing, I should think, about ten nine-gallon casks of ale which we delivered out of the window in three gallon cans. On the tables stood 26 doz. bottles of ginger beer and lemonade. Now this was the only hitch that occurred throughout all the arrangements. The day was very warm, and there were so many mothers and children. However, we soon got over this, as some of us ran to one public house and some to another, and I do believe we cleared them all out, and this was about 30 doz."

William Frederick Starling 1851 – 1937 “Memories of Aylsham"

The festivities also included a procession from the vicarage garden to the church where a thanksgiving service was held and sports were held in the grounds of Blickling Lodge, followed by dancing to the volunteers’ band and singing. To conclude the festivities there was a bonfire and fireworks.

We know so much about this event not only through historical recounts such as the ones from Starling or Sapwell, but also because after the Jubilee celebrations in 1887, a time capsule was left in the church safe. This was then found and later opened by Liz Jones at the celebration of the Parish Council Centenary.

The glass bottle contained newspaper clippings, photographs and posters that commemorate the jubilee celebrations. One of the most fascinating documents is an entire list of all the food an drink that was bought for the occasion and what it cost to purchase. A copy of this is currently on display in the Heritage Centre as part of the Market Place exhibition – along with lots more information about the many street parties to celebrate Royal occasions that have taken place in the Market place over the last 100 or so years!

Image courtesy of Aylsham Town Archive