Anniversary of Seaton Delaval Hall takeover celebrated
Dec 16 2010 by Tony Henderson, The Journal
THE first anniversary of the National Trust’s acquisition of Seaton Delaval Hall will be celebrated tomorrow.
The takeover of the hall followed a fundraising appeal launched by the National Trust in July 2008, which was backed by The Journal and raised £3m.
Doors opened to the public on May 1 when more than 4,000 visitors enjoyed a weekend of celebratory events.
The hall has since welcomed more than 65,000 visitors, achieving the predicted annual visitor figure in just six months. May 3 was the busiest day of the year with 2,400 visitors.
Contemporary art, outdoor events such as vintage car rallies and fetes, staging plays, music concerts and festivals, the development of walking and cycling routes on the estate, and using the grounds as an educational resource, were all mentioned in a community consultation involving 100,000 people which was carried out prior to the acquisition of the hall.
Since May the hall has hosted a parish fête and a classic car rally in the forecourt, installed an eight-metre high contemporary sculpture on the front lawn, introduced the public to local wildlife including the hall’s resident bats, staged 30 performances at the Centrestage area in the salon and developed theatrical productions in collaboration with theatre company November Club and local community groups.
Seaton Delaval Hall is now working on a programme of events and initiatives for 2011 under the guidance of new property manager Judith Cashman, who heads a team of 20 staff and more than 100 volunteers.
She said: “I know the hall is well loved and I am looking forward to developing a lively programme of events that the community and visitors can enjoy.”
One of Ms Cashman’s first tasks was to appoint the Lord of Misrule – one of the central characters in a series of events and performances called the Twelfth Day with the Delavals that has been created by November Club in collaboration with a number of local community groups.
Twelfth Day with the Delavals takes its inspiration from historic Twelfth Day traditions that saw a Lord of Misrule appointed at most large stately homes to start a season of topsy-turvy games and practical jokes that culminated in a feast on the Twelfth Day – January 6.
On Saturday there will be free entry to the hall when visitors can see the Lord of Misrule arriving at noon to deliver a cake which will form the centrepiece of an elaborate dining table around which a series of performances will take place as part of the revival of the old Twelfth Day cake tradition.
From December 27 to January 6 a series of evening performances will take place around the dining table when the audience can interact with characters drawn from research into the Delaval family and will witness the Twelfth Day feast.
Tickets are available from Northern Stage on 0191 230 5151 or through www.northernstage.com. Ticket prices for adults are £5, children £3 or family tickets are £12.
Enter Seaton Delaval Hall's Twelfth Day competition to win a limited edition pack of character cards
