Memories of Melton’s spectacular 1949 Pageant

Joan Jenkins was aged 21 when she took part in the memorable production which was performed over six nights of Whitsun week in Egerton Park.

Big crowds enjoyed the spectacle of the June event, which was organised within the constricts of post-war austerity.

The memories came flooding back while she was isolated at home during the coronavirus lockdown as she read through a copy of the programme for the week, which was priced one shilling.

Joan recalled: “I can remember it vividly and the buzz throughout the town.

“I was lucky enough to have a humble place in many activities, including a one-line part in Scene 1, which the Guides and Scouts ran, and for which we provided all our costumes.

“The RAVC Remount Depot mounted an exciting Episode V on horseback and the contingent of Polish refugee families housed in the unused aerodrome gave each evening a preliminary dancing display.

“Every evening the performance was opened by a different prominent county celebrity after which Father Time - in the guise of Canon Clarke, the vicar - entered bearing the Torch of Time, which remained lit until the Pageant closed in darkness around 10pm.”

The event was organised by a committee, with Mr H Anderson, the headmaster of the grammar school, acting as convening secretary, and George Irving, a history and Latin teacher, who wrote the script and served as Pageant Master.

Scenes depicted the invasion of the Danes in the ninth century, historic figures Roger de Mowbray and Willam de Mowbray, an Elizabethan fair, the civil war in 1645 and activities from Melton life in the 18th century.

As well as the Pageant performances, there were a number of associated events throughout the week, with Egerton Park Cricket Club playing matches against Hawks CC of Yorkshire and Oakham CC, a mammoth bowls drive, an agricultural show and also a display by the Melton Toy Soldiers Band.

People also enjoyed displays of paintings and photographs at Egerton Lodge, the home of the then Melton Urban District Council, where Joan’s father was the finance officer, as well as a Rotarian.

Her memories are crystal clear of the Pageant productions on warm summer evenings: “Every evening was memorable and the weather was fine.

“Actors were invisible behind shrubs in Egerton Gardens until they were due to enter the arena by crossing a specially-built bridge across thr River Eye.”

Joan, who was the first woman manager at the town’s Labour Exchange after starting out as counter clerk in the 1960s, also owns a copy of a postscript leaflet to the Pageant which came out in 1950 and which showed the event made a profit of £66, which is around £2,500 in today’s currency.

Looking back on those days in the 1940s, Joan recalled: “The country was confidently enjoying peace, jobs were plentiful, there was radio but no TV, no mobile phones, no computers, no internet, no social media, shop and business owners but no supermarkets and only black and white photography.

“Melton was a bit unique in being in an agricultural county, so it had street markets twice weekly and a cattle market, a history of wealthy folk who enjoyed the sport of hunting on horseback and a pleasant variety of shops and industries.

“All these facets were eventually cleverly woven into the Pageant scenes.”

Melton hosted a second Pageant in 1971 at St Mary’s Church which was organised by a David Irving, who may or may not have been related to George who played such a big role in the first 22 years earlier.