The 366th Anniversary of the King's execution took place on Friday 30th January from 2 pm for 2:30 pm in the King Charles I Room, Kidderminster Town Hall, hosted by President Richard Woolley.
Kidderminster's Town Clerk, Charles Talbot, welcomed a select group of Old Carolians in the King Charles Room to the yearly event marking the Anniversary of King Charles' execution. Last year was not particularly snowy, but, this year, there was three inches of snow on the Clent Hills and very icy roads in that area. Fortunately for Kidderminster folk, the snow and ice all disappeared at Blakedown. It was quite a memorable day, too, as the news channels were full of the 50th Anniversary of Churchill's burial. Everyone remembered the ranks of soldiers, sailors and airmen marching in London, the route of Churchill's hearse on the barge up the river with dipping riverside cranes, and the significant ceremony of it all. In our small way, we, too, were remembering a key figure in English history, and there was certainly tradition and ceremony in the King Charles Room.
Sadly for us, the Rev Rose Lawley was unavoidably absent, and the Mayor and Deputy Mayor were also unable to be present. At very short notice, ex-Mayor of Kidderminster Charles Talbot stepped in to preside over the ceremony. I confess that I did not appreciate how much Charles and his family are intertwined with Kidderminster history; indeed, if you refer to Burton's 'History of Kidderminster', you will find many references to the Talbot family. In his short address, Charles said that his great-grandfather and grandfather had been described as 'indefatigable' organisers of events in Kidderminster, and his mother had been the first female Governor of King Charles I School. The family had not only been instrumental in the purchase of the portrait of King Charles I by Van Dyck, but had also helped to create the King Charles Room itself. Charles' father had purchased the portrait from a sale at Kinlet Hall in 1947 and it had hung in the Talbot residence until 1959. Charles rather ruefully commented that it had been given free to the King Charles Room when that was created. He said that it was on the day of Churchill's funeral fifty years ago that he was inspired by the ceremony to write his speech as Mayor of Kidderminster. Today, he is crucially involved in efforts to preserve and protect the Woodfield site of King Charles I School.
President Richard Woolley said that he had been inspired by Churchill. He had read one of his books, 'The History of the English Speaking Peoples', and especially the chapters that referred to Charles' capture by the Scots during the Civil War. He described his journey down to London in 1642, and the conspiracy by Cromwell to select a Court of Charles' main accusers to ensure that the King was executed. Charles had always insisted on daily prayers in his household, and so Richard finished with prayers before placing the wreath underneath the King's portrait.
'Captain' Peter Vaughan, Royal Correspondent