OVER the last 10 or 15 years, Britain has witnessed a mushroom growth of all kinds of festivals: literary, film, art, music and food events are open to the public through the summer in small and large cities and towns across the country. The Edinburgh Festival is the granddaddy of them all, with the entire city converted into scores of venues for theatre, music, comic skits and literary talks. People come from across the UK to attend, and groups from as far away as New Zealand arrive to participate. The festival is given wide media coverage, and success here often translates into bookings in London. I was there a few years ago, and came away after a week of hectic cultural events, exhausted and exhilarated.
But a history festival? The Chalke Valley History Festival first appeared on my radar a couple of years ago, but other things were happening so my wife and I couldn’t make it. Last week, however, we carved out three days and stayed with friends who live near the Dorset fields that are transformed by marquees into a huge venue. Many army officers have retired to the area due to its many military installations where they once served, and this was reflected in some of the stands and events. Several World War I tanks were on display. At one booth was a uniformed air force officer explaining the instrument panel of a Second World War Spitfire fighter. A couple of these fabled aircraft were due to fly overhead on the weekend, along with other WW II planes. Sadly, I missed the spectacle.
One area was dedicated to the English longbow, a medieval weapon that won the Battle of Agincourt against vastly superior French forces. Here, an expert archer demonstrated the power and range of the weapon. In another area, you could see the deadly crossbow in action. A hawk was tethered to a stand where its owner described its hunting method. I was told that over the weekend, past battles that the British fought would be re-enacted by volunteers in full uniform.
Volunteers are the key to the success of this, and most other, festivals. Eager young students who have just finished their A-levels and about to enter university worked at every venue, as well as the huge dining tent. One morning was devoted to hundreds of local students who listened to several speakers and participated in various events. I’m sure they had a lot of fun, but I was glad I missed it!
Interestingly, the event was started by two local residents five years ago as a way to raise money for the village cricket club. Since then, it has grown into a prestigious festival where academics, historians and retired diplomats and military officers speak and promote their books. Waterstone, Britain’s largest chain of bookstores, had a large marquee where it sold hundreds of titles, and where authors signed their books. Many famous people were speaking at the festival, ranging from historian Tom Holland to the conservative politicians Michael Gove and Jacob Rees-Mogg. Most talks were partly funded by corporate sponsors, although tickets weren’t cheap.
Out of the 100 or so events, I attended just a few, but was most fascinated by a talk on modern Iran given by the historian Ali Ansari of the University of St Andrews. Although he raced through developments in the 20th century, I was aware of most of the facts he recited, so it was his conclusion about what’s happening now that caught my close attention. For instance, Ansari sensibly suggested that Iran could not win a confrontation with Sunni Arabs, the Israelis and the US, especially when its economy was in shambles. And nor can Iran develop a nuclear bomb and threaten the destruction of Israel at the same time. Ansari went on to say that Iran had completely isolated itself, and had few friends and allies.
He reminded us that the younger generation was now completely disillusioned with the policies followed by an ageing, autocratic establishment. Apparently, young demonstrators now add “Death to Palestine” to the old slogan of “Death to America” at their rallies.
And it is true that support for the Palestinian cause among younger Arabs in the region has subsided among a generation that sees resources being spent on people to whom they owe no loyalty. They weren’t born when their armies were humiliated by Israel in the 1967 war. No wonder Saudi Arabia and other Arab states are in de facto alliance with Israel against Iran, safe in the knowledge that there will be no backlash on their streets.
Another fascinating talk was by Richard Davenport-Hines, an Oxford historian, who spoke about the Cambridge spies who worked for Moscow after being recruited by a university professor. Ideologically motivated, and with a strong anti-imperial drive, five young undergraduates got jobs in the foreign office and the Secret Intelligence Service (now MI6). One of them rose to become the SIS chief in Washington, and when his identity was uncovered, the Americans were furious over the loss of highly sensitive information to the Soviet Union.
One of the charges against the British establishment was that although some of these men were under suspicion, they were repeatedly let off the hook because they were considered to be part of the club, that network of Oxbridge graduates who ran the country in those days, and to an extent, still does. In fact, despite attempts to democratise admission to Oxford and Cambridge, applicants from private (and very expensive) schools have a distinct edge over those from state schools. The class divide thus continues.
All in all, the festival was a most satisfying intellectual experience, and next year, I will try and spend a little more time there.
Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2018
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