Lantern procession commemorates the sailing of Mayflower
Rotherhithe will be all aglow as its free five- day festival starts on Thursday Illuminate Rotherhithe is aiming to involve all sections of the communities and is part of the international buid-up to the 400th anniversary commemorations of the sailing of the Mayflower in 1620 to the New World.
The festivities on Thursday, starts with a community Lantern Procession led by music band Les Zoings.
Residents are welcome to join the procession and many have already participated in the free, open lantern-making workshops led by artist Cathy Wren, that have been running over the last few weeks.
The procession will be followed by a Mayflower Concert at St Mary the Virgin, with folk duo Jimmy Aldridge and Sid Goldsmith. It is planned for residents to participate in the concert, sharing music, song, poetry and discourse, with commemorations of the sailing of the Mayflower.
As part of the festivities, all seven primary schools on the peninsula will participate in folk dance and song workshops, rope-handling demonstrations, and workshops delivered by the Museum of London Docklands ending with a Schools’ Grand Ceilidh at Bacon’s College when 480 children from different schools will meet for the first time and dance together.
Other activities include a Citizens of the World Choir, a free Family Ceilidh for all to have fun on Saturday; a free screening of The Pilgrims film followed by a discussion chaired by the local history society on the 26th; and an exhibition about Rotherhithe Delft tinware pottery manufactured here by a Flemish potter in the 1630s.
- For more information and to book certain events, visit www.illuminaterotherhithe.wordpress.com.