Happily, the recent discovery of a handbill by Wellington historian Allan Frost has helped to fill-in some of the gaps. It provides detailed listings of an official programme encompassing a jam-packed twelve hours of events. Hemmed in between entertainments at the Town Hall and a procession to The Wrekin, the document intriguingly makes a reference to a performance by the Old Volunteer Band on the Bowring Rec’, which had then only been in existence for about six years. In legend, brass bands of any description were said to be forbade within its grounds by a long lost covenant — owing, it has been said, to a hatred of that style of music by the man from which the park takes its name (John Crump Bowring). Yet, here was just such an ensemble — and one that had seemingly been invited to march right in. What the Wellington Journal does confirm, however, is that the derring-do never actually occurred; in traditional British fashion, it was cancelled due to heavy rain! While everything else went ahead as scheduled, one item not included in the official programme was a ‘sparkling’ carnival parade that took place on the morning of the celebrations, ‘a few enthusiastic spirits recognising that the reaction of a great sorrow could have reasonable expression in accentuated joy’ as the newspaper eloquently reported. Other aspects of the day still remain a mystery: why, for example, was the Honourable Mrs Robert Trefusis OBE invited to light the bonfire on The Wrekin? If you know, please drop us a line!