Gainsborough residents set to commemorate Mayflower story in online event

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Residents of Gainsborough are being encouraged to take part in an online event that will commemorate the town’s links to the Mayflower story in its 400th anniversary year.

Mayflower 400 is the official four hundredth anniversary of the historic voyage to America in 1620, and with links to Gainsborough, the town will come together again this year to remember the story.

One Small Candle is an online event that was created after the town’s annual Illuminate Parade was postponed due to current COVID-19 restrictions.

Taking place on Thursday November 26 (the date of Thanksgiving), residents are invited to make their own lanterns at home to display in their windows, to give thanks in their own special way for the things that are important to them.

Templates are available to download and can be created using household items such as glass jars or plastic bottles.

Organisers are also asking anyone taking part to take a picture of their lanterns and upload it to social media on November 26 using #OneSmallCandle or tagging Discover Gainsborough on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to be part of the online event.

Alternatively, you can email your images to [email protected] and they will be uploaded for you.

Cllr Judy Rainsforth, ward member for Gainsborough South West added:

“I am pleased that our Mayflower commemorations are able to continue despite the challenges of COVID-19.”

“I hope that the residents of Gainsborough will get involved in this creative activity at home and look forward seeing our town light up on 26 November”.

Also launching on Thursday is a new illustrated children’s book exploring the lesser-known parts of the Mayflower story from before the ship set sail.

Written by West Lindsey District Council’s Mayflower 400 Officer, Dr Anna Scott, and illustrated by Neil Baker of Electric Egg, ‘Journeys Over Land and Sea’ describes the famous voyage from the perspective of Mary Brewster, wife of William Brewster who was one of the leading Pilgrims.

The book will be available to all schools across West Lindsey and stockist opportunities are also be available, to register your interest please email [email protected].

This project was made possible with thanks to funding from Arts Council England.

The second edition of Gainsborough’s Radical Routes, an online newspaper, will also be released which takes a close look at the Mayflower story, its myths and legends, and aspects that may have been over-looked or need reinterpretation to include previously hidden history.