The archive of Ilmington’s year long Diamond Jubilee Fifties project has been handed over to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust for posterity.

‘The Fifties, Ilmington Remembers’ was supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and involved collating oral histories of those who lived in the village through the first decade of the Queen’s reign; memories which were then encapsulated in a community play, ‘Magic Moments’, especially written by local playwright Mark Currey and which was performed to packed houses over the Jubilee weekend. An exhibition of local 50s memorabilia also drew over 450 visitors as well as a highly successful Jubilee 50s dance.

Ilmington School held a Fifties Tea Party to record the memories of their older village friends and performed A Fifties Christmas play of their own.

‘Magic Moments’ cast members Nicola Amphlett who played Dot and Andrew Trotman, who played George, delivered the archive to the Trust’s Collections Archivist, Amy Hurst.

‘It was a great privilege to perform in front of an audience who could recognise themselves in the characters we portrayed,’ said Andrew.

‘We had a cast of 43, aged 7 to 81 as well as a dog and a baby, and a live band that played and sang some 20 hit numbers from the period. It brought the village together and was certainly a Jubilee none of us will forget,’ he added.