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Events & Celebrations

May Day & Maypoles

Dancing ribbons around a Maypole is a relatively modern interpretation of an ancient May Day celebration. National popularity was revived by this late 19th century improvisation, from which Huthwaite school children show use marking another notable occasion.

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May Day

Celtic tribes are believed to have celebrated May 1st as Beltaine, recognising start of their summer season. A Roman spring festival called Floralia would also culminate on that date, hinting likeliest introduction to the British Isles of a farmers holiday. Adorning a central tree with flowery garlands could have been focal point for honouring their goddess Flora. Heathen tree worshippers would have also sought to encourage a fertile summer into the Middle Ages, until Puritans ended up discouraging any of those pagan based rituals.

National jollity was royally restored by following lead to erect very tall poles to encourage community dancing upon many a village green. This reasserted a recognisable tradition for holiday merriment, although not offering any historic suggestion for adults likewise celebrating among this Nottinghamshire region.

Interlacing colour ribbons around a Maypole by choreographed skipping was begun in 1881 by John Ruskin at Whitelands College. He created a series of dances to perform a May Pageant, They were learnt by many future teachers who broadly moved on to teach others in newly established National schools.

Empire Day

Britain kept a May Day Bank holiday, while Maypole performances given by Huthwaite children at the Church of England Common Road School shows revival with a modernised tradition throughout first half the 20th century. Like most christian festivals commonly adopting original pagan rituals, this reveals the incorporated fertility enactment by crowning a May Queen. But the background bunting confirms participants living memory of these displays being held on May 24th, when British pride used to remember Empire Day on the 1819 dated birthday of the past Empress of India, Queen Victoria.

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1946 Common Road school pupils :- Brian Walters, Keith Batchelor, Edna Woods, ??, Sheila Dean, Ken Hulme, June Walker, Gerald Ward, Dorothy Rhodes, Dennis Goodwin, Blanche Barnes, Keith Hill, Janet Witham, Roy Elliott, David Sweetmore, Drena Revill, David Keeling, Pat Swindell (May Queen), Brian Hayes, Celia Smith, Norman Goodwin, Pat Wass.

Empire Day

Also dated May 24th 1946 by my parents patriotic involvement. David Stones recalls 1950 Maypole dancing below on Empire Day, before 1958 political correctness firstly rebadged acceptable representation then given to a British Commonwealth Day.

May Day

A uniquely angled view from the Rutter family album furthermore exposes past Common Road housing facing the later built church.

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Free Press - May 1926

MAY DAY IN WELLDAY


The concluding performance of the operetta "May Day in Welladay" was given on Saturday in the United Methodist Schoolroom. The villagers of Welladay are assembled on the village green to choose their May Queen, when the Beadle appears on the scene, and accuses them of being suffragettes and also of disturbing the peace. The festivities continue, however, and the May Queen is chosen, by the Magic Well. The festivities reach an exciting pitch, the village maidens dancing in a delightful manner. The flower dance made a beautiful picture, the girls dancing with flower covered hoops. Fairies appeared at different intervals, and delighted the audience with their simplicity, being tiny tots, and seeming thoroughly to enjoy their dainty little steps. The yokels sing lustily, and delighted the onlookers by a grotesque dance.

Mr. John Burton made a very pompous Beadle; Miss Florrie Gannon was Saucy Sue, and created much fun at the Beadle's expence. Miss Gwennie Harrison made an ideal Grannie and lectured the girls freely on what was done when she was a girl. Miss Gwennie Machin was Fairy of the Well, and her elocution left nothing to be desired. Miss Mary Bingham was very modest as May Queen, and Miss Lois Herrod as "Ella", Miss Avis Gannon as "Iris", Miss Gladys Bettison as "Elene", acted in a splendid fashion. Miss Edna Bramley, as Fairy Bluebell sang and recited most beautifully. The duet by Miss Clarice Taylor and Eunice Hargreaves as Fairy Rose and Fairy Lilybell, was a charming number. Miss Hilda Hawley was an efficient accompanist.


14 Nov 11     by Gary Elliott       Updated 20 Apr 20