How we celebrated May Day as kids?

[beady]

Just read a book which has a chapter on the May Day celebrations of yesteryear (The Belle Fields by Lora Adams) which covers very well how this time of year was celebrated not that long ago. It made me think of the way we used to celebrate this time of year. I remember going to infant school all dressed up in white (including pumps) and dancing around the maypole after much practice beforehand and the coloured tapes making patterns on the pole which seemed so high to a nipper! There was a May Queen selected along with her attendants - again all in white. The book brought back some great memories of how we used to have a lovely time. Anyone out there remember similar goings on when they were kids? The book is set in a local village I think around 1900 and covers a young village girl's experience going to work as a kitchen maid in the local Mansion where her life is set into turmoil - a sad and unexpected ending though - so beware! Some other good reading is Brother to the Ox by Fred Kitchen - that covers the life of a farm labourer set at the same time as the book above - the chapter on the trip to be hired at the Statute Fair in Doncaster is a good depiction of how folks were hired / bought just over 100 years ago.

[francypants]

I can remember dancing around the maypole at Hucklow Road School (1959 ish )

We used to get into a tangle sometimes.... especially the boys ! but it was fun.

Happy days.........

[davebrmm]

We dint no nowt about may day on,t bottom rooad

[BrianW]

In the mid 1950s :

Frecheville primary school which was located on Birley Moor Road after the Co-op (replaced in the 60s/70s by houses) had a May Pole .

Frecheville Methodist church on Churchdale Road also had a May Queen, I was a page boy all dressed in whites .

[handypandy]

Back in the 50's at our junior school, there would be the girl's maypole dance. This was followed by a group of lads doing a sword dance, the finale of which culminated in a huddle, from which emerged a lad holding the swords aloft, weaved into a kind of 'star of David' formation.

 

Edited to add: Of course there was no May day bank holiday back then, I guess the event would have been held prior to the Whitsuntide break.

 

 

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Edited May 2, 2015 by handypandy