Barwick in Elmet Maypole raising
- Steve Jones
- Posts: 1516
- Joined: Fri 18 Jan, 2008 2:41 pm
- Location: Wakefield
This year see Barwick in Elmet hosting its trienniel maypole raising.This year it will be on Spring bank Holiday monday 26th may at 11am.The man climbing up it without ropes etc to "spin the fox" will not happen until around 4pm though.Stalls,maypole dancing etc wil happen on the castle mount field.I plan to attend the raising, you can catch a bus from Infirmary Street. I missed the last one in 2005 but attended the last two proper old fashioned ones where they used just ropes and ladders to get it in place.The old way was much more interesting as it they got it wrong it fell through the roof of either of two pubs!
Steve JonesI don't know everything, I just like to give that impression!
- chameleon
- Site Admin
- Posts: 5462
- Joined: Thu 29 Mar, 2007 6:16 pm
Steve Jones wrote: This year see Barwick in Elmet hosting its trienniel maypole raising.This year it will be on Spring bank Holiday monday 26th may at 11am.The man climbing up it without ropes etc to "spin the fox" will not happen until around 4pm though.Stalls,maypole dancing etc wil happen on the castle mount field.I plan to attend the raising, you can catch a bus from Infirmary Street. I missed the last one in 2005 but attended the last two proper old fashioned ones where they used just ropes and ladders to get it in place.The old way was much more interesting as it they got it wrong it fell through the roof of either of two pubs! The inevitible H & S and even worse, the cost of insurance for the event put paid to the real methodology Steve - unfortuanately it seems there are more and more people who will sue if one of the ribbons falls past their ear!
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- Croggy
- Posts: 214
- Joined: Fri 21 Sep, 2007 8:28 pm
Some film from 1999 here. The last time they could do it 'properly' lol.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBdg3kbV ... re=related
- Steve Jones
- Posts: 1516
- Joined: Fri 18 Jan, 2008 2:41 pm
- Location: Wakefield
I had an excellent day out at the maypole raising.I didn't stop for the "spinning the fox"bit, so I hope he succeeded in this wind.At one point in the raising the pole swung alarmingly in the sling of the crane ,and i thought they were going to lose the fox weathervane against the arm of the crane! it just missed it ,but got put onto position OK.I also bumped in my mate Davw wheldrake the archaeologist there and reminded him about the skulls!he promised to check the sites and monuments record for us.
Steve JonesI don't know everything, I just like to give that impression!