Video: Check out the Nottingham City Council trailer for the Robin Hood Pageant.
The Robin Hood Pageant is back and brings with it a whole host of medieval merriment all in the theme of Nottingham’s biggest legend.
The Nottingham Castle grounds will transform into a medieval village encampment from Friday to Sunday.
A range of classic characters, sights and sounds will shoot visitors back to the 12th century to re-live the life of the city’s most famous legend Robin Hood.
Tim Pollard, who plays the outlaw, says there will be plenty of familiar faces at the pageant.
He said: “There will be lots of characters from the legends including King Richard, Prince John, Little John and the Sheriff, but keep your eyes open for other such as Friar Tuck and Maid Marian.
“There will also be arrow-makers, potters, an eel-lady and even a medieval poo-collector.”
Night time jousts will pit Robin Hood and his Merry Men against the Sheriff of Nottingham and his evil henchman with lance, sword and fire in a breath-taking clash on and off horseback.
Visitors will then be able to stroll around the illuminated medieval village and be entertained by street performers, fire artists and an atmospheric torchlit procession.
As the evening draws to an end the floodlight joust finale takes centre stage and not without one or two surprises.
Tim added: “The Pageant as a whole has been going well over twenty years now and each year we keep the best and most traditional parts but always try to add in new twists and surprises.
“The floodlit jousting is in its third year, it’s proved to be a very popular part of the weekend and the visitors, young and old, love it.”
There will be plenty of daytime fun on offer too with visitors given the opportunity to meet the famous Robin Hood and his Merry Men and King Richard I.
And the chance to enjoy living history demonstrations, see wandering minstrels and historical entertainers.
All the family will be able to interact with costume characters and try their hands at medieval crafts, watch falconry and practice wood carving, table weaving and fletching.
Adults can enjoy drinks from the medieval ale house, selling a variety of local heritage ales and meads.
This includes Heather Ale, which has its origins in a recipe dating from 2000 BC.
Brand new entertainment for this years pageant features the terrifying barber surgeon, the eel woman and a working blacksmith’s forge.
Tim has recently been announced as an award-winning Robin Hood by the Robin Hood society, he said: “I’m deeply honoured to be an official award-winning outlaw, I didn’t know anything about it until I received the award in the post this morning.
“I love being Robin Hood and having the World Wide Robin Hood Society present me with an award for doing something I genuinely love is astounding.
“I’ve been playing Robin for over 25 years now and it’s still as fun and exciting as it ever has been.”
