Shakespeare's Birthday

The Club always takes part in the Shakespeare Birthday Celebrations held in Stratford-upon-Avon over the weekend closest to 23rd April. Its flag is flown along with flags of local and international organisations and of many countries. Members parade under the Club’s banner to Bridge Street for the unfurling ceremony, then to Holy Trinity Church where the Club wreath is hung below the Shakespeare bust. The Club is proud of this tradition: it was the Club that first held a local parade and celebrations for Shakespeare’s Birthday, and for many years organised decorations and the procession. In 2024 in honour of the Club’s 200th anniversary its members walked at the head of the procession, a position normally reserved for the boys of King Edward’s School.

The Celebration of Shakespeare’s Birthday is a unique and colourful weekend full of events going on around the town. The procession includes marching bands, Morris dancers, local school pupils carrying bunches of flowers, and “Mr Shakespeare” joining in the fun. On Shakespeare Sunday a service is held at Holy Trinity Church with a sermon given by a special guest and the head boy of KES renews the pen held by the effigy of Shakespeare in the “Ceremony of the Quill”. The floral tributes given on the Saturday by Shakespeare lovers from around the world fill the chancel.