FREE EVENT

Torrington 1646 in association with the Great Torrington Cavaliers and the Sealed Knot would like to invite everyone to a day and evening of fun and fireworks in the 17th Century to commemorate the Battle of Torrington in 1646. The event will take place on Saturday 18th February. The day will start with Al Mitchell, the Town Crier, accompanied by the Mayors Guard marching around the town proclaiming the event open. During the day Torrington 1646 will be open giving a taste of life in the 17th Century, including a living history display and demonstrations of musket and pike drill by the Sealed Knot. A musket firing competition will be held in the afternoon (weather permitting). The Falconer will be showing his birds of prey and the Barber Surgeon will also be in attendance demonstrating his very own version of the NHS (No Hope Surgery!). There will be a bar in the grounds of 1646 and the café will be open all day serving breakfasts, light lunches, bacon sandwiches, burgers and light snacks

In the evening there will be a torchlight parade through the town led by the Great Torrington Cavaliers. The march will start from Great Torrington School car park at 19:00 (muster at 18:30) and end up in the town square approximately 20 minutes later, where the Mayor will address the assembled troops and public and the Town Crier will read out the actual proclamation that was read to the townsfolk on the day after the battle. The Mayor will then lay a wreath on the mass grave outside the church of St. Michael and All Angels. Everyone is welcome to join in the march and torches will be on sale in the school car park.

The day will conclude with a fireworks display in South Street car park and free hot drinks at Torrington 1646.

Please note that this is a free event.

Timetable:

10:00 Torrington 1646 open.
14:00 Musket competition @ 1646 (weather permitting).
18:30 Muster at Great Torrington School car park.
19:00 Musket volley. March commences.
19:20 Musket volley, wreath laying and proclamation in town square.
19:45 Fireworks (Two Tigers Fireworks)in South Street car park, followed by free hot drinks from the Café @ 1646

For more information please contact Kate Henderson at Torrington 1646 on 01805 626146 or email 1646@great-torrington.com

This year we are grateful to Councillors Andy Boyd, Margaret Brown and Geoff Lee who have secured funding through the Torridge District Council Councillors Grant Fund. We would also like to thank the Great Torrington Cavaliers for their donation towards this event. Without their support this event would not be possible.

Santa made his annual pre-Christmas visit to Torrington on Saturday, with a "Snow White and the Eleven Dwarfs" themed grotto courtesy of the Cavaliers! Over 300 local families came to the event, with free goodie bags handed out for the kids, and hot mince pies and mulled cider for the adults. If you came to see Santa and his Cavalier (dwarf!) helpers, we hope you enjoyed it!

I am having problems uploading pictures, Sorry.

Visitors to Torrington Common will now have somewhere to sit, thanks to a donation from The Great Torrington Cavaliers.

The Commons Conservators, who look after the common, have just received four brand new picnic benches from the Torrington Cavaliers. The benches, made by local craftsman Mark Hooper of Torridge gates www.torridgegates.co.uk, will be put to good use on the Old Bowling Green, a popular recreational spot with both visitors and locals.

Cavalier chairman Chris Stacey said: "We wanted to say thank you to the Conservators for all their help with our castle bonfire, so this was a practical and useful way of doing that."

"Our friend Mark Hooper who made them for us did a great job. We hope they'll be enjoyed by the visitors for years to come."

The Cavaliers (Daren Nudds) had an idea to revive the Old Revels that finished many years ago.

We secured the use of a field next to St Mary`s close, Taddiport and staged a FREE event for the children and their families. We even ordered the weather!

We had traditional entertainment in the form of:

Tossing the bale.
The greasy pole
Tight rope walking.
Tossing the Horseshoe.
A "Clowns Bike" where turning the handlebars right turned the wheel left!
A penalty shoot out.
A bouncy Castle.
Cream Teas.
The Fire engine was in attendance for the kids have a look at.

One of the highlights of the event was a box cart race down the hill near the field. It was great fun and the imagination that went into the carts was fantastic.

There was also a BAR (for the adults of course and in true cavalier fashion). These events were followed by live music which took the event into the night.

The other highlight had to be the "FAT BOYS" weigh in where a draw was run to guess the combined weight of the Cavaliers fattest boys: Chris Stacey, Chris Tattersall and Shaun Mitchell. (I was one of the Original FAT BOYS but have been demoted, you will see why in the photos! Chris Stacey is still a member of this club). The combined weight was 51st 7lb (Chris Stacey 16st, Chris Tattersall 17st and Shaun Mitchell 18st 7lb), not as much as I would have thought!!!

There was obviously some scrutinising on this to ensure that their weights were not fixed by items put where they shouldn't, this ably carried out by Dr Cockwill.

It was an absolutely fabulous day and great to see so many children (and adults) enjoying themselves. This is what the Cavaliers are about.

Thank you to everyone who attended.

View Photos-Some courtesy of Gina west

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