One week shy of its first birthday, Speakers’ Corner Lichfield came of age last Saturday, when there were seldom fewer than 100 people gathered on the site between 12noon and 1pm last Saturday, for an open-air ‘pre-hustings’ event. 

Three prospective parliamentary candidates who were able to be present:  Stephen Hyden, the Labour candidate; Ian Jackson, the Liberal Democrat candidate; and Karen Maunder, the UKIP candidate — the fourth candidate, Michael Fabricant, Conservative, had a prior engagement and was not able to attend)

The candidates fielded questions on the environment, education, defence, health, the local economy and law and order.  

Audience participation was vigorous, but never abusive — grassroots democracy in action! 

Come along to our birthday party at 11am on May 1 2010.

Here’s what’s happening:

11.00am:  Town Crier & Welcome from Pete Wilcox, Chair of Speakers Corner Committee, and compere Lesley Bovington!

11.15am: Talks from students from local secondary schools

11.30am: Talk from Peter Walker, local artist and launch of talking sculpture

11.45am: Great cake giveaway and cake cutting

12.00 noon: Cllr David S. Smith, Leader of Lichfield District Council will bring the proceedings to a close.

Lichfield’s very own Speakers’ Corner celebrates its first birthday on Saturday, 1st May and is inviting Lichfield babies who are celebrating their first birthday, too, in May to come along and be part of the special first birthday party which will take place at Speakers’ Corner at 11 – 12noon. 
 
The Speakers’ Corner party starts at 11 o’clock and will feature local speakers and performers, including local school  students  and noted artist, Peter Walker. Babies are especially invited to come along for the cutting of the commemorative cake, when they will each receive party bag, cake and memento of the occasion.
 
Chairman of the Speakers Corner, Lichfield committee,  Canon Pete Wilcox, said, “Speakers’ Corner gives a voice to people of all ages, young and old, and it would be wonderful to have our Lichfield citizens of the future share their very special first birthday celebrations with us.”  
 
Parents are asked to contact Moira Taylor on 01543 308167 or by e-mail to moira.taylor@lichfielddc.gov.uk to register their baby’s interest!

2011 will mark the 400th anniversary of the publication of the ‘King James’ or ‘Authorised’ or ’1611′ version of the Bible.  In anticipation of the landmark, the Lichfield Centre for Christian Studies has organised a Lecture Day, on Wednesday 5 May 2010 (10.00am to 3.00pm) which is free and open to all. 

A series of three lectures is to be delivered by Professor Michael Wheeler, Visiting Professor at Southampton University.  The programme is as follows:

10.00 am       Lecture 1:      The Making of the King James Bible  

11.00 am       Break (coffee available)

 11.30  am      Lecture 2:     The Literary Heritage of the King James Bible

12.30 pm       Lunch (bring sandwiches)

 1.30 pm         Lecture 3:     The Artistic Heritage of the King James Bible

Political candidates vying to clinch the title of MP for Lichfield, are set to face each other at a unique pre-hustings event at midday on Saturday 24 April 2010.

Organised by the Speakers’ Corner Lichfield Committee, the event will see local people raise important questions on a number of local and national issues  and then give the political hopefuls their chance to respond. There will also be an opportunity for questions from the audience, as a prelude to the established Hustings organised by Churches Together in Lichfield, which will take place at Emmanuel Christian Centre, Netherstowe, on Thursday 29th April at 7.30pm. 

 The Revd Dr Pete Wilcox, Canon Chancellor at Lichfield Cathedral and Chair of the Speakers’ Corner Lichfield Committee, commented: “A hustings is a great way to work out who you want to vote for, by hearing first hand from the candidates themselves. And this year’s Speakers’ Corner event is set to be even more revealing. Candidates will hear from local people about important local issues, and will be challenged to give their views and solutions.”

 John Brough, Member of the Speakers’ Corner Committee, and event organiser commented: “Come to Speakers’ Corner in Lichfield on Saturday 24 April and find out more about some of the people who want to represent your views in Parliament.  By being there , we’re confident you’ll feel more informed when it comes to casting your vote on 6 May.”

 Stephen Hyden (the Labour candidate), Ian Jackson (the Liberal Democrat candidate) and Karen Maunder (the UKIP candidate),  all plan to take part in the event. Michael Fabricant MP, the current Conservative MP for Lichfield, will unfortunately not be able to appear, as he has a previous commitment.

The debate will take place on the site of Speakers’ Corner, on the corner of Dam Street  and Minster Pool, on Saturday 24 April at 12noon.

This Friday (26 March), Lichfield Cathedral will be proud to present one of three exclusive advance screenings of the film:

Saxon Gold: Finding the Hoard

Doors open at 6.30pm, film starts at 7.30pm.
Tickets £10, with all proceeds going to the Staffordshire Hoard Campaign

Tickets are kindly being sold by the Lichfield Garrick. Call 01543 412121 or buy online at www.lichfieldgarrick.com

The film, produced by the National Geographic Channel, will be aired nationally on the National Geographic Channel on 28 March 2010 and on Channel 4 in early April. The film runs for approximately 50 minutes.

Come and hear the latest about the Staffordshire Hoard at Speakers’ Corner this coming Saturday, 6 March, at 10.00am.

There will be a short (5 minute) presentation by Dr Gareth Williams (curator of early medieval coinage at the British Museum) – an abbreviated version of the talk he will be giving later (10.30am) in Lichfield Cathedral: ‘A Book, an Angel and a Crock of Gold: the Staffordshire Hoard and the Kingdom of Mercia’. 

It’s a mark of the excitement the Hoard has caused locally that the Cathedral has sold almost 500 tickets for that event.  There are still tickets left, but only with a restricted view.

Canon Pete

Intimate Theatre actors Ken Knowles as Dr Johnson and David Titley as Teashop owner, Tom Davies will be performing a short drama at the following sites around Lichfield on Saturday 6th March.

Come and meet Dr Johnson and hear what he had to say about fairness in world trade. Come along to Speakers’ Corner at 11am for the launch.

They will call in at various local spots and cafes en route.

11am Speakers Corner

11.30am Boots Corner

11.50am Costa Coffee

12.15pm Johnson Birthplace Musuem

12.45pm The George Hotel

1.15pm The Green Room, Lichfield Garrick

A series of lectures on issues of topical controversy is to be held in Lichfield Cathedral at 1pm on the Thursdays of Lent, beginning on 18 February, with a talk by the Revd Peter Holiday, Chief Executive of St Giles Hospice, on ‘Assisted Dying’. Peter has agreed to deliver a 5 minute taster of his lecture at Speakers Corner half an hour before the lecture, at 12.30pm. See you there! Canon Pete

Fairtrade - giving everyone a better deal!

As a Fairtrade city, Lichfield is hosting a series of events during Fairtrade fortnight. So come on down, find out more, and help support the Fairtrade movement:

Swap your usual stuff for Fairtrade stuff during Fairtrade week (and beyond!)  – 22 February – 7 March 

From swapping  your usual bananas for Fairtrade bananas, your usual cuppa for a Fairtrade cuppa, your usual T shirt for a Fairtrade T shirt. Every time you go shopping, you can use your wallet to make a stand against world poverty.  You can help the world’s poor to earn a decent wage by buying Fairtrade products.  The Fairtrade range started small 15 years ago. Like one bar of chocolate small.  Now there are over 4,500 products bearing the Fairtrade Mark – from food and drink to beauty products and clothing.  You can swap today! Visit www.thebigswap.org.uk website to find out more!

Encourage others to Swap their coffee and tea to Fairtrade

Why not ask your favourite cafe to join in? Or, your place of work, or any organisation you belong to. Encourage them to swap their usual tea or coffee to Fairtrade.  There are so many different blends and brands of Fairtrade coffee and tea to choose from at local stores here in Lichfield.

Meet Dr Johnson on Saturday 6 March at 11.00 am at Speakers’ Corner

Then follow him on his visits to Lichfield’s tea and coffee shops, for a very special intimate performance! Intimate Theatre are performing a short drama featuring Dr Johnson and a tea shop owner entitled ‘Sam Johnson’s tea shop Swap’. It will be performed at lots of Lichfield’s cafes ending at the Lichfield’s Garrick’s Green Room at about 1.00 pm.

Come to the Co-op’s strictly Fairtrade tea dance at Boley Park Community Hall on Friday afternoon 26 February at 2.30 pm. 

(More details from the Co-op Superstore on Boley Park).

For more information contact Fairtrade Lichfield at hawkes.madiba@btinternet.com  or Tel: 01543 250332