National Grandparents Day Celebration

Media Contact: Jim Schepmoes
804-493-8038 ext. 8119
jschepmoes@stratfordhall.org

For Immediate Release

STRATFORD, VA, (August 25, 2008) - On Sunday, September 7, 2008, Stratford Hall will celebrate National Grandparents’ Day. Grandparents can strengthen the bond between generations by participating with their grandchildren in Stratford’s Grandparents’ Day activities - and at the same time experience some snippets of 18th-century life at Stratford.

From 10 a.m. until noon grandparents and grandchildren can fish in Stratford’s 9-acre, well-stocked mill pond - just as the young Lees did 250 years ago. Participants are encouraged to bring their own fishing tackle and bait. Stratford will provide a limited number of bamboo poles and bait. Grandparents are expected to supervise their grandchildren’s fishing during this event, several staff members will also be on hand to help with the fishing. Between 10 a.m. and noon, a shuttle van will carry participants down the hill to the pond. Fishing will be done only from the pond dam, and (for safety reasons) Stratford may have to limit the number of those fishing at any one time. Fishing will not be permitted outside of the hours of this event.

At 1 p.m. there will be a succession of several activities at the Council House (adjacent to the Stratford Hall dining room):

1:00 p.m. Get inducted into the Virginia Militia and practice drilling with muskets, the Grand Union flag, and drum. Learn to make musket cartridges. See a live musket firing demonstration.
1:45 p.m. Attend school with the strict 18th-century school teacher--and hope that you are not disciplined with the whispering stick or nose pincher.
2:15 p.m. Practice using the tools of 18th-century sailors who landed their tobacco ships at Stratford - including, for example, the knot log, and lead line and ship’s bell. Sing a sea shanty while heaving on the dock line.

These special activities are exclusively for grandparents, grandchildren and their immediate family, and are included with the regular admission - either a grounds pass or house tour ticket.

Greatly expanded versions of these activities are available in several different camps that Stratford Hall holds each summer.

For more information on Stratford Hall’s Grandparents’ Day Celebration or its popular summer camp programs, contact Bill Doerken, Coordinator of Special Programs, at (804) 493-8038 or email bdoerken@stratfordhall.org.