St Edmund to be celebrated

A Eurovision winner will be at a photo bombing event this weekend to launch a Bury St Edmunds campaign to get the town celebrating St Edmunds Day.

French singer, Anne-Marie David, won the competition in 1973 and will be at The Great Churchyard behind the town’s Norman Tower on August 20 at 11.30am.

The launch is to tell people about the Your Town Needs You event being set up by the group We Love Bury St Edmunds! which will be on November 18, 19 and 20.

Organiser James Sheen wants to get all of the town involved in the celebrations.

He said: “We have a day for St George yet some people here hardly even know who St Edmund is and that St Edmunds Day is November 20.”

“We need to shout about Bury more, people here need to know about him and that this is one of the greatest towns in the world.”

Other people attending include Mayor of St Edmundsbury Terry Clements, deputy mayor Margret Marks and East Anglian 1940s and 50s singer Sarah Probert.

St Edmund died fighting Vikings in Thetford in 869, drawing them away from battle before he was tied to a tree, shot with arrows and beheaded.

He was also the first patron saint of England until 1348 when Edward III replaced him with St George.

For details on all the St Edmund events go to www.facebook.com/groups/welovebse or www.welovebse.com