Friends of Shakespeare's Church Events

Celebrate Shakespeare’s Birthday with the Friends of Shakespeare's Church

Saturday 26th April

An exclusive event for Friends and guests to see the beautiful flowers placed on the Shakespeare family graves by the Birthday Procession, on this special day when Stratford celebrates the life of William Shakespeare.

  It is a unique opportunity to experience the wonder of the Church ‘out of hours’ and share a glass of fizz to toast the Immortal Memory of William Shakespeare. 

Arrival from 6:00 p.m. and the Toast to Will be given at 6:30 p.m. by Rev. Patrick Taylor, with a special ringing of the bells from 7:30 p.m. There will also be an auction for a unique piece of Shakesperian history: the quill. During the Birthday Parade the quill ceremony marks the occasion when the senior pupil from Shakespeare’s school, King Edward VI, places a new quill in Shakespeare’s hand in his bust in the chancel of the Church. A new quill is brought each year from a goose at Mary Arden’s Farm, Shakespeare’s mother’s home, and the old quill is removed. This year, for the first time, the quill that has been in Shakespeare’s hand for a year, will be auctioned to raise funds for the on-going conservation of this Grade 1 Listed church. 

Tickets: £20 each and include drinks & a donation to the Friends.  Tickets must be booked in advance here.