Vikings in the Memorial Hall

This enigmatic plaque was written in an ornate surround and addressed to the Trustees of the Memorial Hall. It's not clear who these Vikings were or where they came from. If anybody is aware of the event to which this refers, would they please get in touch with us - info@shrivenhamheritagesociety.co.uk

The writing is transcribed and reads thus:

Dear Trustees if the Memorial Hall. Rogrars feast was great. We were very pleased with the wood fire. You must have got up very early morn to light it. The moss you left in the loo was very smooth and the kind of bowl thing was much much more comfortable than holes in the ground that we are used to. We were very pleased with them. The food was great. The kitchen was a delight to use after what we Vikings are used to at home. We didn’t need to cook our beanstew on the wood fire because of that wonderful device we found in the kitchen. We hope our horses and oxen did not foul on your grass and eat too much of it. They were very hungry after the long journey there. We hope too that our carts did not make deep ruts in the grass. That Odins day had such bad weather that we feel that it was a sign so in the future we are converting to Christianity.

Yours Sincerely

Lady Sigga, Lady Katie, Swytweaver and  Lord Russell Swift Sword

And the mystery was solved in November 2020, nearly 30 years after the event. We are grateful to Janet Hall who told us that the invaders were a group of pupils from Shrivenham school, who in 1992 carried out a project on the Vikings. They came to the Memorial Hall for a celebration feast after the project had been completed. Janet's daughter Jenny was one of the young marauders ... We also thank Janet for the photos.