May Day Memory Monday
In today’s Memory Monday, we take a look back at images from the 1960s and much further into the past at the origins of traditional maypole dancing.
As we have just spent a rather chilly May Day Bank Holiday, you might enjoy these photos which show the annual summer fete in the Westwood Vicarage garden, taking place on a warm day in 1956. A highlight of this event was the demonstration of maypole dancing given by the children.
The Victorian vicarage was located towards Tile Hill, off the present Torrington Avenue. There was a wooden hut at the bottom of the vicarage garden which did double duty as a meeting room and unofficial village hall.
Origins
In Medieval and Tudor times, maypoles were traditionally put up every May to celebrate the arrival of summer. Young people would go out at dawn to chop down a suitable tree. The branches would be chopped off and it would be brought back in procession decorated with flowers and erected on the village green. The maypole formed the centrepiece of great celebrations, May Day being a public holiday.
In the 17th Century, the Puritans banned all May Day celebrations as being pagan in origin, unseemly and an occasion for lewd and drunken behaviour. However, in later years, maypoles were painted bright colours and often decorated with garlands of flowers and ribbons.
In the 19th Century, dancing with ribbons was developed. The dancers would plait and weave the ribbons in different patterns, including spider’s web, single and double plait, barber’s pole, gypsy’s tent and ropes. Music was provided by the local fiddler.
In the early 20th Century, maypole dancing was revived as a suitable exercise for ladies and young children. Mr Hancock, Headmaster of Westwood School in the 1950s and 60s, looked for ways to encourage the children – especially the girls – to increase their exercise and so he introduced marching, country dancing and maypole dancing for both boys and girls.
If you were a maypole dancer, please do share your memories! I recall learning at school in Yorkshire – great fun and it took much practice before the big day.
Images:
Maypole dancing at the Vicarage Fete, 1956
The school children practising country dancing in the school playground (note the Headmaster’s house to the rear).
Map showing the location of Westwood Vicarage (Copyright Cassini Publishing Ltd. and used with permission).
Thank you to Peter Hancock for his kind permission to share the school photographs.
