» St. George’s Day
Brighton and Hove City Council leader Mary Mears on St George’s Day
Friday is St George’s Day – England’s national day – and I think that it is very important that, as a Council, we show our support and celebrate every bit as patriotically as the Irish do on St Patrick’s Day, the Scots on St Andrew’s Day and the Welsh on St David’s Day.
So, for our main event, on Sunday (25 April) we will be staging The Book And The Rose in Jubilee Square, which will showcase the power of the spoken word, be it through poetry, prose or song. Of course, the literary theme has added relevance because 23 April is also the day that William Shakespeare died.
Jubilee Square will be decked out in red and white and there will be a wide range of entertainment on offer including the Hanover Poetry Festival, Hammer And Tongue, Short Fuse, The Catalyst Club and performances by musicians from Sussex’s vibrant folk scene. There will also be advice on how to get involved in local writing groups, projects, festivals and events across the city. As part of the council’s Be Local, Buy Local campaign independent traders will sell books and flowers, offering residents and visitors the chance to pick up a work by their favourite author.
In addition, there will be a special tribute to the Bard from the Festival Shakespeare Company – a preview of the show they will be performing during the Brighton Festival Fringe which starts on 1 May. And by sheer coincidence, on St George’s Day itself, I have the pleasure of attending the prestigious national Enjoy England Excellence Awards at the Corn Exchange. Up for the award of Best Tourism Event and Festival Award is none other than the Brighton Festival itself! All the best to Brian Eno and the team who have put this year’s programme together – it promises to be another spectacular success and they thoroughly deserve all the accolades they get.
