Windsor,
Monday, 3rd June 2002
The Ceremonial
'First Slices' were cut by sword by Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard
Johns, Governor of Windsor Castle, and by Mr Timothy Dawson,
(pictured), High Sheriff of Berkshire.
A traditional ox roast was held on Bachelors
Acre on Monday 3rd June in celebration of the Queen's Golden
Jubilee. The event was organised by Windsor's MP, Michael Trend,
and John Fido of Rotary Windsor St George.
Ox Roasts were held in Windsor
for the Golden Jubilee of both George III in 1809, and Queen
Victoria in 1887. Mr Trend said, "We are carrying on this
tradition with pride in our past and confidence in our future."
Roasting a whole ox is
a very rare event yet the expert 'know-how' required was available
from the famous St
Keverne Silver Band Ox Roast Team. The cooking was undertaken
by chefs from the Household Cavalry based at Combermere Barracks
in Windsor. The ox weighed 7 hundredweight and cooking started
at 7.30pm the previous evening with the joints covered in foil.
Ox roasting begins the previous
evening, protected by aluminum foil
Cooking continued for 29 hours on a spit
18ft long with ten tons of wood ready as fuel. The ox was planned
to feed in the region of 800 hundred, possibly more. Veggie burgers
were also available together with a beer tent.
Entertainment was provided by
the Windsor Boys School Steel Band, the Windsor Girls Golden
Dance Troupe, a local 'a cappella' group, the Windsor Morris,
the Jubilee Jazz combo and a pop group, Dr Zog, who started the
proceedings with an 'upbeat' National Anthem and although the assembled crowd did have to put
up with the odd shower, the sun also shone for some of the time!
A brief ceremony was held at 1.OOpm
followed by the carving and auctioning of the first slices by
the swords of Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Johns, Governor of Windsor Castle and
Mr Timothy Dawson, High Sheriff of Berkshire. The first
slices were auctioned off and the editor of The Royal Windsor
Web Site won the bidding so we can honestly report that after
the marathon cook-out, all was succulent and tender!
For just £5.00, over 800 people received a
slice in a soft roll, plus a Certificate and an entry in the
Commemoration Book which will form a permanent record of the
event. Bearing in mind that the last two Golden Jubilee Ox Roasts
were in 1809 and 1887 this was a rare (and well done) event!
Congratulations are due
to Michael Trend, MP, John Fido of Rotary Windsor St George and
the Army crew in charge of the cooking: Master Chef, John Ellis,
Sgt. Kevin Cole, Sgt. Damian Rydout, L/Sgt. Debbie Savage, L/Cpl.
Lee Humphrey, L/Cpl. Andy Edwards, Pte. Emma Allen. and Pte.
Craig Hodgson.
The Ox Roast Crew
on Sunday evening at the start of the marathon roasting
with John Fido, and Michael and Jill Trend to the left.
Carving the first
slice with a sword by Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Johns, Governor
of Windsor Castle
MP Michael Trend
opens the event with a word of thanks
The Ox Roast area
complete with wood fuel
Prayers at the
Opening Ceremony
The Army lend a
hand with the carving
The Ox Roast Diorama,
1809
The Diorama of The Ox Roast in
1809 for George III 's Golden Jubilee
Detail from the Diorama of The
Ox Roast in 1809 for George III 's Golden Jubilee
The Diorama of George III Jubilee Ox Roast
was made by Judith Ackland and Mary Stella Edwards in 1959, the
third in a set of Windsor dioramas produced as a result of commissions
by The Royal Borough of Windsor. The other dioramas illustrated
the site of the Market Hall, before the present Guildhall was
built: the scene at the bottom of Thames Street in 1770 with
barges and barge horses, and including an image of Paul Sandby,
the artist, sketching: The Seige of Windsor Castle in 1216: A
Roman Camp on St Leonard's Hill and finally Harold being offered
the crown in 1066. A comprehensive history of the Windsor Dioramas
is included in Windlesora
18 published by The Windsor Local History Publications Group
in 2000.
The Royal Windsor Web Site will
report all events such as these and provide a permanent record
together with references to the background of such events wherever
possible.
Any information
or additional material about Windsor is always welcomed and acknowledged.
Copies of photographs or texts
can be emailed to the Editor,
The Royal Windsor Web Site
To contact us, email Thamesweb.
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