Full Description
Offering a fascinating celebration of Britain's living heritage, TRADITIONS OBSERVED, by Anna Hallett is an engaging journey through more than 70 of Britain's most ancient and enduring local customs and ceremonies. In a richly detailed travelogue, the book explores the rituals, both famous and obscure, that continue to be celebrated across the UK today.
From well-known events, such as well dressing, mummers, wassailing and pancake races to lesser known traditions such as Straw Bears, 'Mock Mayors' and the spectacle of Bun Throwing, together with a number of charitable events and civic ceremonies, plus a good smattering of both real horses and hobby horses included, the book captures the remarkable variety of customs that have survived into the twenty-first century.
Different communities and associations have always had their own unique customs which have been passed down and preserved over the years. These are often rooted in the occupations and businesses of the local inhabitants or society members. Others are such as pancake races, Maypole dancing, wassailing and mummers are more universal and are celebrated throughout the year in multiple locations, albeit quite often with local interpretations.
Not all events happen annually so waiting for the right year to come around to participate can sometimes take a while. In one particular case, it can be up to 21 years between the Chedozy Candle Auctions in Somerset! And the COVID pandemic has caused some disarray to the calendar in recent years.
Describing some of the events that she witnessed and took part in, Anna said: 'I've met straw bears, mock mayors, a warrener, a wren bearer and a Jack-in-the-Green. I shook hands with a boy bishop, played the part of High Constable, acquired a hobby horse named Biscuit made by Stephen Rowley, a Cotswold artist and mummer, and only narrowly avoided falling into the Thames while trying to keep up with swan-upping Vintners.
'Injudicious action (on my part) during a game of bottle-kicking in Hallaton, Leicestershire, could have led to serious injury. I have been pelted with raid-sodden buns and presented with a wassail bowl on one occasion and a carrier bag filled with flour on another. In London, I witnessed the payment of 'quit rents' in the Royal Courts of Justice and the testing of new coins of the realm in the Trial of the Pyx in Goldsmiths' Hall - both in the presences of the Queen's Remembrancer.'
Anna Hallett is passionate about history, a love of which she has shared over the years with the students that she has taught at various educational institutions. A combination of this, together with an interest in travel and a curiosity regarding exploring the unknown have contributed to the creation of this book.
Contents
EVENTS ATTENDED
Autumn/Winter
Souling: Comberbach, Cheshire 9
Mumming, general: Various 13
Pace Egging: Mossley, Greater Manchester 17
Haxey Hood: Haxey, North Lincolnshire 23
Straw Bears: Whittlesey and Ramsey, both Cambridgeshire 27
Plough Monday: Stoney Stanton, Leicestershire 31
Wassailing: Chepstow, Monmouthshire, combined with the Mari Lwyd appearance 35
Wassailing: Preston on Wye, Herefordshire 39
Wassail bowls: Museum of Gloucester and St Fagans museum in Cardiff 38
Spring/Easter
Cradle Rocking: Blidworth, Nottinghamshire 47
Shrovetide
Olney Pancake Race: Buckinghamshire 51
Lichfield Pancake Race: Staffordshire 55
Shrovetide Football: Ashbourne, Derbyshire, and Atherstone, Warwickshire 56
Britannia Coconut Dancers: Bacup, Lancashire 61
Hare Pie Scramble: Hallaton, Leicestershire 65
St George's Court: Lichfield, Staffordshire 47
Woolsack Races: Tetbury, Gloucestershire 113
May Celebrations
Maypole Dancing: Offenham, Worcestershire 71
Hobby Horse/The Hunting of the Earl of Rone: Combe Martin, Devon 76
Hobby Horse: Minehead, Somerset, and Padstow, Cornwall 81
Flora Day: Helston, Cornwall 92
Green Man Festival: Clun, Shropshire 88
Garland and Oak Apple Day: Castleton, Derbyshire 96
Grovely Rights and Oak Apple Day: Great Wishford, Wiltshire 108
Court of Arraye, Bower Service and Procession: Lichfield, Staffordshire 102
Summer/Autumn
Well Dressing: Eyam, Derbyshire Peak District 116
Horn Dance: Abbots Bromley, Staffordshire 129
Rush bearing: Grasmere, Cumbria; Saddleworth and Sowerby Bridge, both Yorkshire 122
Boy Bishop: Hereford 142
Cutty Wren: Middleton, Suffolk 146
Paper Boys, a mumming play: Marshfield, Gloucestershire 20
Fire
Up Helly Aa: Lerwick, Shetland 42
Tar Barrels: Ottery St Mary, Devon 113
The Burning of Old Bartle: West Witton, North Yorkshire 265
Bonfire Night: Lewes, East Sussex 137
Fenny Poppers: Fenny Stratford, Buckinghamshire 283
Civic Ceremonies
Mayor Making: Lichfield, Staffordshire 153
Mayor Making and Penny Throwing: Rye, East Sussex 155
Mayor Weighing: High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire 157
Tutti Day: Hungerford, Berkshire 159
St Wilfrid's Procession and Hornblower: Ripon, North Yorkshire 164
Ale Tasting and Bread Weighing: Ashburton, Devon 169
Charter Reading: Rothwell, Northamptonshire; Barnstaple, Devon 173
Charter Fair: Honiton and Kingsbridge, both Devon 285
Wroth Silver Ceremony: Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Warwickshire 280
The Sheriff's Ride: Lichfield, Staffordshire 107
Mock Mayors
Abingdon, Oxfordshire 177
Woodstock, Oxfordshire 180
Gloucester 184
Chester 189
London
Trial of the Pyx 191
Quit Rents 195
Guilds, Livery Companies 202
Lord Mayor's Show 203
Beating the Boundaries x2 215
Knollys Rose 219
Vintners' Procession 209
Cart Marking 207
Swan Upping 213
Bun Day at the Widow's Son pub 228
John Stow Commemoration 258
Covent Garden Rent Ceremony 211
Charities
Dole Claiming: The Hospital of St Cross in Winchester, Hampshire 223
Butterworth Dole: London 225
Tichborne Dole: Hampshire 230
Church Street Supper: Kidderminster, Worcestershire 233
John Knill Ceremony: St Ives, Cornwall 237
Bread and Cheese Scramble and Whittington Purse Sermon: St Briavels, Gloucestershire 244
William Key Sermon, Barton-under-Needwood, Staffordshire 247
Candle and Footrace Auctions
Candle Auction: Aldermaston, Berkshire; Tatworth, Somerset, Chedzoy, Somerset 249
Footrace Auction: Bourne, Lincolnshire; 249
Key Auction: Great Wishford, Wiltshire 257
Horse Fairs
Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire 285
Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria 288
One-Offs
Penny Hedge: Whitby (Yorkshire) 261
Dunmow Flitch: Great Dunmow, Essex 268
Bun Throwing: Abingdon, Oxfordshire 274
Dicing for Bibles: St Ives, Cambridgeshire 277
Dr Johnson's Birthday Celebrations: Lichfield, Staffordshire 102
