THE PUTNEY DEBATES 1647

 

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OPENING EVENTS PAGE

The Putney Debates Exhibition at the

Church of St Mary the Virgin, Putney,  London, England

 

St Mary's Church, Putney (by Putney Bridge)

the site where the Putney Debates were held in 1647.

 

Normal Opening Hours: 

Monday - Saturday 10:00am to 4:00pm

 

Please call 020 8788 4414 before visiting as weekly events in the church can cause the exhibition to temporarily close.

 

 

Now Open

Exhibition now open

Over the celebration weekend of Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th October 2007  we held  various 17century events and entertainments  including  re-enactments of the debates, VIP river event and a Sealed Knot Regiment military encampment,  accompanied by music, costumes food and drink of the time. 

 

 

We would like to thank our sponsors for helping us celebrate the opening of the exhibition

Located on the river front, east of Putney Bridge, and a minute from the High Street. Eat alfresco on their huge river front terrace.

133, Putney High Street
 

 

We would like to thank our local businesses for providing their good and services

3 Token Yard, (just behind The Body Shop in Putney High Street))

Putney Exchange

Rogerio's, Italian Cafe & Restaurant 157 Putney High Street

 the FLOWER YARD

163 Putney High Street

Please support your local Putney High Street businesses  
 

 

Events That Were Held 

Fri 26th Oct

6:30pm   The People Voiced2: New Wimbledon Youth Theatre  Production - free

7:30pm      #'A Putney Light Shines'1: performed by Professional Actors

 

Sat 27th Oct

Official Opening 

& 

Living History

Weekend

              Day thru evening  

              Civil War re-enactment company Tower Hamlets Trayned Bandes Regiment

              Pewter Making by Worshipful Company of Pewterers, Hog Roast, 17C foods

              & Levellers Beer Tent - Free Entry

 

6:30pm     The People Voiced2: New Wimbledon Youth Theatre  Production - free

7:30pm    #'A Putney Light Shines'1: performed by Professional Actors

Sun 28th Oct

 

 Official Opening 

& 

Living History

Weekend

 

              Day thru afternoon  

              Civil War re-enactment company Tower Hamlets Trayned Bandes Regiment

              Pewter Making by Worshipful Company of Pewterers, Hog Roast, 17C foods

             & Levellers Beer Tent - Free Entry

 

10:00am      Celebration Church Service

12:00pm      Bell Ringing - 17th century Peals

  1.30pm      Arrival of River Party from Westminster3 

  3:30pm   The People Voiced2: New Wimbledon Youth Theatre  Production - free

  4:30pm     #'A Putney Light Shines'1: performed by Professional Actors

  6:00pm     Caritas

 

Tues 30th Oct

 

8:00pm      #17th century music concert

Concert of fine music from the period and recitations from poets Marvell and Milton.

 

Web 31st Oct

7:30pm      #Everyman and his Government4 : The American Premise

                      Syracuse University London

 

Thur 1stNov

7:30pm      #17th Century Putney: Illustrated talk by Dorian Gerhold of  WHS
Fri 2nd Nov

 

7:30pm      #'What's Wrong with British Democracy' 6

                    Verso debates chaired by Shami Chakrabarti5 and human rights lawyer

                    Geoffrey Robertson QC with musician and author Billy Bragg,

                    author Dan Hind, historian and broadcaster Tristram Hunt

                     in collaboration with St Mary’s Church, Putney

 

 

 

 

1  By Maria Oshodi, Extant.  Performed Professional Actors

Based on original Debate transcripts, this new theatre production, written by Maria Oshodi, Extant, and performed by professional actors,  illuminates the twists and turns of the Debates about church, state and monarchy.  Hear the historical voices, including Cromwell himself, debate our constitutional future within the very walls where the original debates took place 360 years ago.

   Tickets £6/£3 concessions 020 8871 8711

 

 

2  WYT, performed free in the open air:

A site specific performance by young people exploring Putney characters and stories of those connected with the   Debates raging on inside the church. Discover what life and politics felt like for Putney folk and their relationships with New Model Army soldiers discussing the future of British democracy. 

   FREE

 

 

3  Rowed by the Putney Oarsmen conveying VIP's from Westminster to Putney

The arrival of Black Rod and MPs hosted by Putney MP Justine Greening. The Putney Oarsmen in full 17th regalia, recreate a typical journey from Westminster to Putney as it would have been made 360 years ago.

   FREE

 

 

4 ‘Every man and his Government: The American Premise’. The impact of the Putney Debates reaches far beyond these shores. Syracuse University London will present a discussion—featuring academics from Oxford , Syracuse University , University College London, University of Sheffield and University of Warwick —on the how the Putney Debates laid the groundwork for the contemporary ideals of democracy (Rule of Law, one man-one vote). It will also explore how those ideals continue to be tested in both US and UK governments. 

   Tickets £6/£3 concessions 020 8871 8711

 

 

5 Shami Chakrabarti CBE (born in London, 1969) has been the director of Liberty since September 2003.

   Call 020 8871 8711 for tickets in advance

 

6 To commemorate the publication of the new book ‘Geoffrey Robertson presents

  The Levellers: The Putney Debates’, featuring a transcript of the Putney Debates, Verso and 

  St Mary’s Church, the original site of the Debates, have organised a debate on the state 

  of democracy in contemporary Britain. 

 

   They will discuss whether the demands of the Levellers set out at the Putney Debates of 1647

   have been realised and how Britain’s democracy can be revitalised.

 

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