The 364th Anniversary of the King's execution took place on Wednesday 30th January from 2 pm for 2:30 pm in the King Charles I Room, Kidderminster Town Hall, hosted by President Ann Mullard.
At the appointed time of 2:30 pm on Wednesday 30th January, a group of around twenty Old Carolians and friends were welcomed by Kidderminster's Mayor, Cllr John Aston, to the Mayor's Parlour in the Town Hall. We were unable to conduct the Commemoration ceremony in the usual King Charles Room owing to a Council staff training session, but the Mayor's Parlour was a more than adequate substitute, with a framed print of Charles' portrait standing proudly on a magnificent dresser.
Old Carolian David Morgan conducted proceedings in the presence of President Ann Mullard, Senior Vice-President Charlie Combes, Junior Vice-President Richard Woolley and a band of supporters. David has recently left his post as Director of Music at St Mary's and is shortly to undertake theological training in Oxford. All good wishes of the Association will be with him as he completes this programme.
David began by telling us of his A-level History project on the trial and execution of the King at the School. (Michael Gove, are you listening?) This was very appropriate preparation for his address. He quoted from Psalm 3, which suitably fuses with the King's predicament on that cold winter's day in 1649.
'Lord, how many are my foes
How many rise up against me
You Oh Lord are a shield around me
The Lord sustains me and I will not fear, though
Tens of thousands assail me on every side
Deliver me, my God
Strike all my enemies on the jaw and
Break the teeth of the wicked.'
David said that both Charles and Cromwell could identify with this Psalm, and both were convinced of God's will on their side. Both men had great moments in their lives, but were they truly great? They stood up for their convictions, but both could not see the bigger picture and neither would compromise. Perhaps in today's age of polls, focus groups, Twitter and Facebook, communication of ideas and arguments is much simpler. Today, it is perhaps a lot easier to understand another's thinking. David concluded by saying: 'Viewed from many angles, Charles's actions can perhaps still inspire us'.
President Ann Mullard said that she had conflicting views over Charles. She recognised a flawed character and a stubborn man, but she said that many admired him for refusing to compromise his beliefs and bravely faced his execution; she quoted from Charlotte Brontë's 'Jane Eyre' to illustrate this point. At Lowood School, in the novel, Helen Burns says to Jane: 'I was wondering how a man who wished to do right could act so unjustly and unwisely as Charles I sometimes did. I thought it was a pity that with his integrity and conscientiousness, he could see no farther than the prerogatives of the crown. Still, I like Charles – I respect him – I pity him, poor murdered king! Yes, his enemies were the worst and they shed blood they had no right to shed.'
We all say 'Amen!' to that.
Ann placed the wreath next to the portrait of Charles and the ceremony ended with a prayer.
Last year, it was commented that a classic bicycle was stationed outside the Mayor's Parlour; it was something of an anachronism and also a mystery. The mystery was solved at the end of the Ceremony, when the bicycle was claimed by ex-President Martin Hobson. Many of us could only look in admiration at a man who can still cycle from Blakedown to Kidderminster and back on this magnificent machine. He is surely our own answer to Sir Bradley Wiggins! Martin is one of the most faithful Old Carolians that you will encounter anywhere, and the work that he does for the Committee and the Association is legendary. He does all this work, and his volunteering for the Severn Valley Railway, without the ownership of a computer or a mobile phone! How would the youth of today cope in that situation? Martin is the only Old Carolian we know that still attends functions in an Old Carolians' official blazer. It has more gold and silver thread than is stitched on Imelda Marcos's underwear and should be preserved for all time. What a role model the man is.
'Captain' Peter Vaughan, Home Affairs Correspondent
Photos from 2013 King's Anniversary
