One of the things that everyone thinks they know about Oliver Cromwell is that he banned Christmas. There was a real ban, but what was behind it? Was it effective? Were mince pies outlawed? Did Cromwell really have very much to do with it? This talk reveals the fascinating story behind the myth of how the festive season was outlawed in the 1640s.
Stuart has a History degree (University of York) and postgraduate qualifications in Education (University of Exeter) and Museum Studies (University of Leicester). For fourteen years he worked for the heritage service of Vivacity, Peterborough's cultural trust, leading on interpretation and programmes for Peterborough Museum, Flag Fen Bronze Age site and Longthorpe Tower, as well as developing a guided tours programme for the city and acting as head of service. He was a key member of the team that refurbished Peterborough Museum in 2012, and created, developed and managed Peterborough's annual Heritage Festival. For two years Stuart was Director of Operations at Peterborough Cathedral, helping develop its programme of events, before becoming Curator of the Cromwell Museum in February 2018. He has a passion for history, which he enjoys sharing with people through his work, as well as writing books and articles, delivering talks and through regular broadcasts on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. Stuart has long had an interest in 17th Century history, and is also a Trustee of the Huntingdonshire History Festival, Chair of Peterborough Museum Society, a committee member of the Huntingdonshire History Society and an ex-officio member of the council of the Cromwell Association.
To book your FREE place, please go to: https://www.chfhs.org.uk/did-cromwell-ban-christmas-with-stuart-orme-447
