Monday saw my family and I visit Wellow village for a special ceremony. Now I've played cricket here a few times, and drunk at the pub overlooked by the traditional Maypole in the village, I've never attended the May Maypole ceremony.
It was a major occasion in the village, preceded by Morris Dancing, some rather inappropriate medieval children's entertainers who were, perhaps in the traditions of the time, rather rude, which preceded the main event, when the carefully selected children of the village carried out some dancing.
The whole event was incredibly reminiscent of watching the classic film "The Wicker Man", and a reminder of ancient times when such ceremonies were probably accompanied by a spot of human sacrifice to go along with all the merriment.
Nowadays, the bloodiest events are probably the arguments between the mums of the village, fighting tooth and nail about whose daughter gets to be May Queen, or the train holder, or the flower girl. Like something out of "The Archers".
Probably families not speaking to each other to this day.
Si
All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 28.05.25