The 2008 festival
The 2008 festival ran from 19 to 26 April.
Download a report on the 2008 festival [PDF].
The Ballad of St George & the Dragon
On St George’s Day itself local theatre group the Lions part gave three highly enjoyable performances of their specially written Ballad of St George & the Dragon, the first in Red Cross Garden, the second in Borough Market and the third at the meeting of the Borough & Bankside Community Council. Each performance had a different audience.
Great Southwark Dragon Quest
The Southwark Mysteries and Mental Fight Club combined to run their popular Dragon Quest on the mornings of Saturday and Sunday. Dragon hunters gathered in Red Cross Garden in Redcross Way and began to search for the many dragons to be found, while learning about the folklore and mythology of dragons and the stories of St George. They ended at St George’s Garden where the dragon danced.
Southwark, Shakespeare and St George Lecture
Local resident and actor Robert Pennant-Jones skilfully linked the three themes together with the help of RSC actors Michael Burrell and Richard Earthy for a rehearsed reading of Henry IV part II and helped by the audience in ‘Cry God for Harry, England and St George!”
St George the Martyr Church
On Saturday Stephen Humphrey of the Southwark Local History Library gave a talk about the history of the church and on Sunday Fr Ray Andrews presided at a Festival Eucharist.
St George’s RC Cathedral
As well as two guided tours and a special Mass for St George’s day the cathedral showed a new painting by Scott Norwood Witts of St George and the Dead Soldier – a contemporary meditation on St George and nationalism.
Southwark Cathedral
To celebrate another of the borough’s literary connections, Arthur Smith and Rick Jones commemorated the 600th anniversary of the death of poet John Gower who is buried in the cathedral.
Southwark Local History Library
Southwark Local History Library prepared a display of St George places in Southwark and the Children’s Library hosted two sessions for schools with story telling and music from the folk tradition of England by the Askew sisters.
Blackfriars Settlement
Blackfriars hosted a traditional Sunday Lunch, a St George’s day lunch and quiz and a Community Lunch with International Tea Dance, enjoyed by members of the Blackfriars Seniors and Crusoe club for the visually impaired and local residents.
