THIS weekend Droitwich is travelling back in time for a day of fun to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the town’s charter.

The charter, which was originally granted by King John in the same year as the signing of the Magna Carta, allowed the people of Droitwich to produce salt from the King’s wells for the sum of one pound a year, creating the business that Droitwich Spa was built on.

On Saturday, August 1, the town will be celebrating the granting of the charter with a whole host of activities and fun, starting with a procession of civic dignitaries down from St Andrew’s Church to the canal, where they will meet a ‘royal barge’ returning the 13th century king to Droitwich.

King John will be presenting the people of Droitwich with a new charter, to replace the original which has long since been lost, and was possibly destroyed by a huge fire which swept through the town in 1290.

Former mayor and town councillor Bob Brookes organised the Charter Day celebrations.

He said: “It’s basically just a bit of a fun day. We’ve got some street markets, and the Norbury are going to have a bit of fun. It will borrow more heavily from Blackadder than true history I think.

“It really all started because it’s the 800 year anniversary and 800th birthdays don’t come along very often. Local businesses have come on board. They’ve just come along and they’d love to have a bit of fun. An awful lot of people have put their hands up and said they’d love to help, that’s the wonderful thing about Droitwich.”

In addition to the pomp and ceremony, there will also be a street market in the town centre and a medieval-themed buffet, and people will be placed in the town’s new set of stocks to have wet sponges thrown at them.

The town’s scouts are organising a charity slave auction to recreate the many slaves that worked in Droitwich as part of the industrialised salt business. At one auction, the slaves rose up and put the auctioneer in the stocks, which is one of the many scenes from the town’s history, which may well be re-enacted by members of the Norbury Theatre.

The Gardener’s Arms has also joined in with the fun, organising a mini music and cider festival in a marquee in Vines Park.

There will be two processions from St Andrew’s Church down to the canal near Waitrose on the day at 11am, and again at 2.30pm.The Cider Music Festival is starting at 11am and running throughout the day in Vine Park. For more information visit 4shires.events/ or call the Gardener’s Arms on 01905 770192.