KING’S Ely’s annual Hoop Trundle will be taking place outside Ely Cathedral at 12 noon on Saturday (3) and parents, pupils and members of the public are being invited to come along and watch.
The fiercely contested event sees the school’s King’s and Queen’s Scholars bowling traditional wooden hoops over a course on the East Lawn of Ely Cathedral and commemorates the re-founding of the school by King Henry V111 in 1541. Having dissolved Ely monastery, which had educated children for centuries, he gave the school its first Royal Charter and inaugurated the 12 King’s Scholars. One of the privileges he allowed them was to play games, including the bowling of hoops, in the Cathedral precincts. In 1970, the school admitted girls for the first time in its 1,000 year history, and three years later the King’s Scholars were joined by Queen’s Scholars at the request of Queen Elizabeth 11 during her visit to the school in 1973.
We hope to see you there!