Even mighty Northampton from a tiny Oak Apple did grow…

Happy Oak Apple Day fellow Northamptonians, the Mayor has been on top of All Saints Church hanging an oak wreath round the statue of Charles II.

Just like Punxsutawney, USA, is famous for Groundhog Day – immortalised in the film of the same name featuring a weather-predicting groundhog called Punxsutawney Phil – Northampton is not famous for Oak Apple Day because I bet they don’t even know we do this in Rushden let alone Hollywood.

The point of our day is to thank Charles II for helping with rebuilding Northampton after the Great Fire of 1675 which swept from the Vue Cinema to the Grosvenor Centre, claiming 11 lives and destroying 700 of the 850 buildings which were there at the time. If you believe the cinema and the shopping centre were among the buildings which survived then it is not for me to burst the happy bubble you are living in.

With the wreath placed, there were some military manoeuvres from soldiers who would have looked recognisable to Charles II, a service of thanksgiving and some speeches and sermons. The service inside All Saints was broadcast to a crowd that gathered around the church’s piazza.

A Company LNR, Army Cadet Force, Corps of Drums, marched past and HM Lord-Lieutenant of Northamptonshire, James Saunders Watson, took the salute.

He said: “Oak Apple Day is a deeply significant tradition for Northampton and a poignant reminder of the resilience and generosity that shaped this town’s recovery after the Great Fire of 1675.

“I am honoured to take part in this year’s ceremony, which not only commemorates the extraordinary support of King Charles II but also brings our community together to reflect on our rich history. As we mark the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire, it is more important than ever to honour these traditions and pass them on to future generations.”

In the absence of the monarch, the Lord Lieutenant represents the King in the county, like a living postage stamp or Royal seal of approval.

Placing the wreath, high above All Saints piazza, was the Mayor of Northampton, Councillor Jane Birch.

She said: “Oak Apple Day is a historic event which we have honoured for many hundreds of years and marks a significant moment in Northampton’s history – the Great Fire destroyed 700 of the 850 buildings in the town, so without the generosity of Charles II, we would not have the town we see today.

“As a council we believe it is important to keep Northampton’s historic traditions alive and everyone is welcome to come along and be a part of this unique ceremony.

“We are also excited to be partnering with Northampton Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID) and West Northamptonshire Council, along with local cultural and historical groups, to deliver a five-month programme of events that tell the story of the fire and the rebuild that followed.”

I’m impressed that she did not mention the height above the ground that the wreath placing ceremony occurs. If it had been me – well I’m just not sure you could have got me up there.

I have been asking people a question about all this and I have not had a satisfactory answer so far… why is it called Oak Apple Day?

The answer that comes back is that Charles II, fleeing roundhead soldiers in the bad old days, hid in an oak tree before making his escape. After a few years of being ruled by dour East Anglian farmer Oliver Cromwell in 1670 we gave the Stuart family their old jobs back and on May 29 Charles took the throne.

Five years later the wooden walls of Northampton (the town that hosted Cromwell the night before he beat Charles’ dad once and for all) went up in flames and the Earl of Northampton pleaded with the king for help. Charles II was not petty about it at all. He sent 1000 tons of Oak and halved our taxes for seven years, even though we supplied Cromwell’s army with their kinky boots.

Hence every year, ever since, Oak Apple Day happens. But what is the Apple part? Does it mean that Charles is like an apple produced by an oak tree? Like a miracle? Would that be a miracle? Could you graft an apple tree onto an oak and have it produce apples? Or is the apple of the oak, an acorn? I am the kind of person who if I was an acorn I would describe myself as an oak apple. It would start out as a joke but I would be too stubborn to let it go.

The update to the story is that when Windsor Castle caught fire Tony Clarke and John Dickie of the Labour administration on Northampton Borough Council offered the Queen a thousand tons of oak from Delapre to help rebuild, not necessarily expecting to be taken up on the offer. The Queen was delighted to accept so the really beautiful thing is we’re just doing Oak Apple Day out of the kindness of our hearts now.

Look out for events and exhibitions relating to the fire on its 350th anniversary on the BID website

Northampton Town Council has created an app which offers a virtual reality guide to the Great Fire of Northampton on your smartphone. Scan the QR code below to find and download the app.

You can find out more about the Explore Northampton app on the town council website.