Barnet Horse Fair

Barnet, London - 5th September 2006!

This fair is nearly 800 years old and originally was for the London 'cabbies' who bought their horses here! These days they might still come but certainly not to service their transport! On the 6th February 1588, Queen Elizabeth I granted a charter to the Lord Mayor of Barnet the right to hold a weekly market on Mondays and a fair twice a year. Fairs were granted a lot in the Tudor period as a way of bringing people together, however this also meant there was a lot of crime, theft, drunks and fights...much like today really! Fines for these offences were paid to the local lord and therefore the Lord Mayor of Barnet kept the fairs going for the sake of his own pocket! This particular fair has continued until today as the most famous place to go for livestock, especially horses and cattle. By the 18th Century, the fair had become particularly associated with horses and horse racing.

Pipe Walk

St Mary Redcliffe church, Redcliffe Parade, Bristol.

In 1190, Robert de Berkley made a gift to the parish of a spring of water, the most valuable thing he could offer in those days. Every year on a Saturday afternoon in September at 14.30, the vicar and parishioners assert their right to the water by following the course of the Redcliffe pipe, two and a half miles through Redcliffe, across Victoria park and up to Knowle

First fruits of the Harvest ceremony

Richmond North Yorkshire -

This ceremony links Richmond with its medieval origins, when the people were dependent on the success of each years harvest.
Corn was grown on the three great open fields to the north of the town - Westfield, Gallowfield and Eastfield. The Bailiffs and Aldermen - predecessors of the present Mayor - were responsible for the administration of the town, including the annual fairs and the weekly markets. Richmond became one of the leading corn markets in the North of England.
The ancient custom of the First Fruits shows the Mayor as the leader of the town in all its ceremonial traditions.
Nowadays, after some introductory remarks by the Town Mayor, and thanks-giving prayers by a clergyman, a local farmer presents to the Mayor a small sackful of newly threshed corn. This the Mayor hands over to a miller, who examines the corn, and when he passes favourable judgement on its quality, the Mayor presents the farmer with a bottle of wine.

Hop Hoodening

Cathedral Precincts, Canterbury - 2nd September 2006

Hop Hoodening appears to have existed in east Kent only and was a celebration of the hops which traditionally came from this area. Originally this was held at Christmas but the custom has now been revived and has become a hop-picking festival with the Hop Queen and other characters and with folk dancing groups from all over the country participating.

Bognor Birdman festival

Bognor Regis, West Sussex, 9th September 2006

This unlikely festival was started in 1971 in nearby Selsey and was called the Birdman Rally. Prizes were offered to people who could fly 50 yards (about 46 metres). Since the start there have been random and unusual entries and the closest anyone got to 50 yards was a man called David Cook who 'flew' 44 yards faced with competition from the likes of Mary Poppins, Peter Pan and 'naked John'!!!!! In 1978, the event had gained so much popularity it had to be moved to the larger resort of Bognor Regis. In 1992 the record that still stands today was set. It was a local boy, Dave Bradshaw (everyone's called Dave in England!) Dave flew 89.2 metres. His flight was accommpanied by flying doughnuts, ice cream and vampires!

Egremont Crab Fair

Egremont, Cumbria - 16th September 2006

It is believed that the traditional fair has been held continuously since 1267. The parade of the apple cart takes place in the main street at about midday when apples are thrown to the public. The main street is also the site of the ‘greesey pole’, erected at dawn on the day of the fair and originally having a half sheep fastened to the top, which became the priae for anyone able to scale the fat and soap smeared pole without artificial aid. Nowadays the sheep is replaced with a pound coin. In the evening the ‘world gurning championships’ are held, the prize going to the person who pulls the ugliest face. There is also a pipe smoking contest, track and field events, shows and hound trials during the day.

The Crab Fair was first held in 1267, when King Henry III granted a Royal Charter to Thomas de Multon (1247-1294), Lord of the Barony of Egremont, for a weekly market on Wednesdays and an annual fair to be held on the 7th, 8th and 9th of September. A modern translation of the original Charter is as follows:

"One market every week, upon Wednesday, with one fair every year by three days enduring the eve, the day of, and the morrow after the Nativity of St. Mary the Virgin, and to be quite free from suit of the County Courts and the Hundred Courts, and from all fines and americiaments there, and the tolls within the seignory of Copeland of ancient custom."

The original Charter is held in the British Museum in London. The granting of a Royal Charter, which freed the Barony from local fines and taxes, was one way by which the King could raise money. It also gave the town some degree of self-government and attracted people from the neighbouring countryside.

Abbots Bromley Horn Dance

Abbots Bromley, Staffordshire - 11th September 2006

This ancient fertility dance starts at 7.45 in the morning when the dancers arrive at St Nicholas’s parish church to collect the horns. After having them blessed by the local vicar, they set off to dance around the village not returning until about 8 – 8.30pm when they head back to the church for the horns to be blessed again. The dancers consist of six men with reindeer horns which weigh between 15 and 25 pounds! There is also a maid Marion (who is also a man – dating back to times when women were not allowed to perform such rituals) with ‘her’ collecting ladle, A boy with bow and arrow, a hobby horse with clacking jaws, a jester with a collecting box, a boy with a triangle and a musician with a accordion! The most popular theory as to the origin of the horns is that they came from reindeer brought by Norsemen to England before the Viking conquest and indeed this fair is most certainly one of the oldest being traced back about a thousand years!

Barnstaple Fair

Barnstaple, Devon - 20th September 2006

Held by right of charter since ancient days, the fair begins with the traditional opening ceremony in the guildhall of drinking to the success of the fair, with a special ale brewed by the senior Beadle from a closely guarded Elizabethan recipe. Toast, cheese, gingerbread and ‘fairings’ are traditional fare. A large white stuffed glove garlanded with flowers is hung from a window of the guildhall as a symbol of friendship to all who come to the fair. The fair is then proclaimed around the town. Nowadays it takes the form of a huge funfair with a carnival on the Saturday.

Black Pudding throwing competition

Ramsbottom, Bury - 10th September 2006

The Black Pudding Throwing World Championships are held annually at the Royal Oak pub on Bridge Street in the town centre. Participants have to toss the puddings in an attempt to dislodge a stack of Yorkshire Puddings placed on plinths on two levels (one for children, the other for adults). The winner is the one who dislodges more Yorkshire Puddings in three attempts. The competition was originally started at the now defunct Corner Pin pub in nearby Stubbins, but it is apocryphally said the contest stems from the War of the Roses in which opposing forces from Lancashire and Yorkshire are said to have hurled black puddings and Yorkshire puddings at each other when they ran out of ammunition.

Autumn equinox

Primrose Hill, London - Autumnal equinox

The Autumnal equinox marks the end of the summer and the start of the Autumn, the drawing in of the nights and the change in the seasons. It is also known as the Mabon to druids and is the time when the day and night are exactly equal (hence equinox). The land is now full of the gifts of nature and modern day druids celebrate. The ancient ceremony is held at 12.00 noon. It celebrates the coming of the harvest season, the time to give thanks for that which one has received in one’s life. The ceremony follows the ancient druid ritual in which fruit is offered in symbolic thanks to the greater spirit for thr fruitful harvest.

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