In July 1905, so the story goes, Louis Nepoleon Parker received a letter from a friend telling him that the town of Sherborne proposed to celebrate the 1200th anniversary of the famous school there and suggested a folk play.
Louis was excited by the ideas and the result was a traditional pageant that involved both the town and the school.
The vicar of St Mary's Church, Dover, Canon Henry Bartram, attended and he was so impressed that in his sermon on 4th January, 1907, he suggested that Dover should have a pageant " lest we forget" the town's history. He added that such an event would bring thousands of visitors to the town which would help the economy.
