The Mayflower 400 commemoration in 2020 will mark the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Separatists on the Mayflower to start a colony in the ‘New World’. This will be a huge occasion at both a national and international level and Dartmouth will proudly play an important role in these exciting events.
The Mayflower 400 launch event on 18th November was a spectacular evening with over 200 people attending the champagne reception at Britannia Royal Naval College.
The acclaimed and very talented pianist, Ji Liu, entertained guests with a concert in the chapel. He delighted the audience with pieces by lesser-known composers such as Rzweski, and more familiar pieces by composers such as Beethoven, Rachmaninoff and Liszt, with some Gershwin thrown into the mix - to a standing ovation.
The audience were extremely appreciative and Ji thoroughly enjoyed performing, “ I had such a great time performing at the college and I am hugely grateful to you for having invited me to this gorgeous event.”
The evening was opened by a speech from Charles Hackett, CEO of the National Mayflower 400 Partnership. He explained the importance and breadth of the commemoration, which will take place in twelve destinations in the UK, USA and The Netherlands in 2020. He talked about Dartmouth’s role in the organisation and how the Mayflower Trail will link all of these destinations and that they will tell their unique part in the story.
Adrian Vinken, Chairman of the National Mayflower 400 Partnership, gave the closing speech. He emphasised the themes and ethos of the commemoration – and why it is important to recognise the historic voyage. He talked about the signing of the Mayflower Compact which had its roots in Magna Carta. The Compact eventually formed the basis of the American Constitution that exists today, and it is these shared values that link our countries and sets them apart from others in the world.
Guests left with an attractive brochure, outlining Dartmouth’s ambitious plans for the commemoration in 2020 – a mixture of legacy projects and lavish events that will benefit the community for years to come.
The travel industry are very interested in Mayflower 400 and are already working on itineraries for the Mayflower destinations. Kuoni are one of the largest tour operators in the world. Dartmouth Mayflower 400 recently hosted a visit from a representative of Kuoni’s New York office who spent a day here being shown around the town by the Mayflower team. As a result, we understand that Kuoni are considering putting together a tour of all 12 of the UK Mayflower towns to market to their North American customers.
As well as funding, we also need volunteers to help us to deliver our projects. You can do this via the website, where there is a form to fill in: www.dartmouthmayflower400.uk
Or, you can contact a member of our team direct – contact details are also on the website. We would love to hear from you!
