This film is part of Free
To Shakespeare's Memory
Pomp and ceremony in Stratford-upon-Avon for the Bard's birthday
Overview
A 363rd birthday might not be an especially portentous one, but residents and dignitaries of Stratford-upon-Avon still turned out in force to mark Shakespeare's anniversary on this blustery day in 1928. The ceremonial unfurling of "many national flags" is followed by a visit to the playwright's birthplace in Henley Street and the laying of wreaths at his tombstone in Holy Trinity Church.
Only Shakespeare's christening on 26 April 1564 is officially recorded, but since the ceremony was usually performed three days after a child's birth, the Bard's birthday is celebrated on 23 April.
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