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St.Werburgh Festival

Fit for a Monk - "Young People and Old Things'

The St.Werburgh Monks, who are undertaking a four day 70-mile pilgrimage from Hanbury in Staffordshire to Chester on Sunday, were put through their paces at The University of Chester this week.

David Pickering and fellow pilgrims, who have trained for several months with walks around Chester’s Walls, passed their fitness test overseen by Professor of Occupational Health & Fitness at the University of Chester Prof Kevin Sykes. The monks were provided with porridge by Cllr Terri Gray, Conservative Cllr for Newton Brook, to keep up their strength.

The St.Werburgh Festival is raising money for “Young People and Old Things.’ £1,000 will be donated to both Dodleston Primary School and Lache Infants School and also, £2,500 will be raised for Chester Cathedral’s Choir, which will contribute towards a choral tour of Florida, USA. The “Old Things’ to be supported include £1,000 to maintain the Consistory Court at Chester Cathedral, £1,000 to renovate the Mystery Play quilt and £1,000 to create a play corner and buy hymn books at St.John’s Church, Chester.

David Pickering, AKA Cedric the Conversus, said:

“I am delighted the University of Chester has taken such an interest in the St.Werburgh Festival and hope the money raised for “Young People and Old Things’ will make a difference to young people’s lives. I look forward to a number of people walking the whole route from Staffordshire to Chester with myself and the rest of the Monks. We hope for a significant number of people and children to walk the last five miles into Chester to a reception at the Cathedral.”

The University of Chester is holding an evening lecture at the Beswick Lecture Theatre School, Parkgate Road on St.Werburgh, by Dr Alan Thacker, General Editor of the Victorian County History in England, on Wednesday (June 20) at 7pm, as part of the St.Werburgh Festival.

David’s beard has become established after he decided not to shave from February 3, which is St. Werburgh’s Feast Day, to June 21, which is St. Werburgh Saints Day, commemorating the Translation of the Relics from Hanbury to Chester Cathedral. The Monks journey is based on the Translation of St.Werbugh’s Relics over the same route 1,100 years ago in 907. During this time David Pickering has adopted the name of “Cedric the Conversus”; Cedric was the name of a character in Episode 11 of the Chester Historical Pageant 1937. Conversus is a bearded trainee monk.

The University of Chester lecture at 7pm on Wednesday June 20 costs £2.75 (£2.25 concessions) with a free cup of tea or coffee on the door. For more details call the Department of History & Archaeology on 01244 512160

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Notes

EVENTS ON JUNE 21:

The pilgrims will arrive in Christ Town, Christleton on the canal towpath at 2pm on June 21 and walk the last mile to be welcomed by Vikings and a Roman guard changing by the Newgate at 3pm.

At 3.30pm the pilgrims will walk up Bridge Street, Eastgate Street and St.Werburgh Street to the Town Hall Square where they will be met by more than 200 pupils from schools including Upton High, Dorin Park, Woodfield Primary, Newton Primary, Acresfield Primary, Mill View Primary and St. Clare’s Primary.

At 4pm, the Lord Mayor of Chester Cllr Jim Latham will receive the Relics of St.Werburgh and the Lord Mayor, pilgrims, children and congregation will enter the Cathedral, where there will be a Festival Service to celebrate the arrival of the Relics back to their rightful home. The Service will start at 4.45pm and The Lord Mayor of Chester will present the Relics to the Dean of Chester Prof Gordon McPhate.

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