I WAS delighted to attend Kingston Museum’s Saxon Fayre in the Ancient Market Place on the last weekend of July. It was a great celebration of Kingston’s history and culture, bringing the past to life with a wonderful array of activities, music, performances and re-enactments.

It was a real community event, with people from all over the borough playing a part. There was a working Saxon-inspired forge built by Surbiton Community Forge, flax growers from Kingston Hive who make linen in Kingston and even Kingston Beekeepers Association who demonstrated how a Saxon skep (Saxon beehive) was made.

Some of the highlights were the Little Sheerwood’s farm animals and Imperial Bird of Prey Academy birds - who people fell in love with! There was a parade through the streets, with the Dark Ages Society and Haestingas Regia dressed as soldiers and staging a weapons display at the end of the day. At All Saints Church, families made Saxon-inspired pots and played a giant game of chess thanks to Kingston Chess Club. Visitors also learnt how to play Viking chess in the market, try out a new Heritage Hunt and take tours with Kingston Tour Guides.

Our festivals and cultural events bring communities together, promote understanding of different perspectives and create a shared sense of enjoyment that bonds and connects people. They also play a vital role in driving economic growth, attracting thousands of visitors, stimulating tourism and boosting local businesses. Our rich cultural programme offers residents and visitors the opportunity to challenge their own ideas, and celebrate the borough’s diverse communities.

That is why I’m so excited about next year. In 2025 Kingston will mark the 1,100th anniversary of the crowning of the first King of England, King Athelstan, with a borough-wide celebration. The six-month programme of cultural events and activities will launch in spring 2025. It is being created in collaboration with local communities, celebrating contemporary Kingston’s past, present and future.

This is a great opportunity to reflect on the people, places and stories that made Kingston, and our hopes for the future. Over a millennium ago, Athelstan was crowned the first King of England in the heart of Kingston, uniting the kingdoms of Wessex and Mercia. Today, the borough is home to many different nationalities and communities that bring an extraordinary richness to our heritage and cultural life, our sense of place, purpose and identity.

I look forward to sharing more about the plans for Kingston 2025 with you as we develop the programme with our communities and partners.