Lewes Castle Collections Inspire Lewes Patina Moving On Parade

A fantastic day at the Patina Moving On Parade!

Huge congratulations to everyone involved in today’s Patina Moving On Parade in Lewes.

We were especially thrilled that this year’s Patina Moving On Parade was inspired by Lewes Castle & Museum and its collections – an exciting opportunity to celebrate the stories, objects and history we care for at Sussex Past.

The creativity, colour, and joy on display were truly inspiring – and the costumes were a sight to behold, with so many telling stories drawn straight from our museum collections.

A standout moment of this year’s event was the grand appearance of not one, but two towering iguanodon puppets – named Mary and Gideon – roaming the streets of Lewes. This long-awaited dream for the Patina team became reality in the year that marks 200 years since the discovery of iguanodon fossils by local residents, Mary and Gideon Mantell. Naming the dinosaurs after both Mary and Gideon is a wonderful way to honour the full story.

Every school in the parade contributed a handmade iguanodon egg and hatchling, created in workshops led by artist Katie Griffiths. After the parade, the eggs were placed in a specially created nest installation in the Paddock – a joyful moment that brought all the schools together under the watchful gaze of Mary and Gideon.

We loved being part of this joyful celebration and are already planning more activities for the autumn, including a museum trail featuring the inspirational objects, school artwork, and a special launch event with artefact handling sessions.