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The rural village keeping May Day traditions alive

Eleanor MaslinEast Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
Electric Egg A tall maypole which is stripy blue, white and red has coloured ribbon coming out of it which children are pulling and dressed in traditional clothing. People can be seen stood around the maypole watching the children.Electric Egg
Hemswell May Day celebrations date back to at least 1660, according to the village's committee

A rural village is keeping a centuries-old tradition alive by dancing in the footsteps of the past.

Hemswell's May Day celebrations, in Lincolnshire, take place every year and is thought to be one of the oldest in the world, dating back to at least 1660, according to the village's committee.

Every first May bank holiday of the year, its villagers flock to its static maypole, which is 18m (59ft) tall and thought to date back to the Victorian era.

The village also has a street named after its pole, Maypole Street, where Morris dancers from Grimsby are set to perform this year.

The May Day events are run by the Hemswell & Harpswell Village Hall Committee, which is made up of volunteers.

Chairman Bill Barker said the maypole was Grade II listed and maintained by the parish council.

The events also include 12 children dancing around the maypole in conventional clothing, along with Morris dancers performing and several different stalls.

Electric Egg Morris dancers dressed in white shirts, black trousers and black shoes with black, red and white hats are mid-dance in the middle of a village street. Spectators can be seen around them.Electric Egg
Morris dancers form part of the traditional May Day events every year

Barker said: "I guess lots of villages are doing their own specific things, but they may not have a maypole.

"Ours is fairly obvious and it deserves a response."

Barker said his granddaughter, who is five, will be taking part in the dancing this year.

The event will start from 13:00 BST and children will dance around the pole from 14:00 for about half an hour.

"I think a lot of young people through the years have really enjoyed it. My granddaughter has taken it to heart and is really enjoying it," he said.

Electric Egg A man with short white hair in a red waistcoat, white shirt and red bandana around his neck is pulling a concentrated face as he danced with a red, black and white rope. Behind him is a woman playing a musical instrument and other dancers and spectators.Electric Egg
Hemswell continues to keep its May Day traditions alive each year

Barker said about 400 people come to the event each year, including those travelling from places such as Sheffield and the east coast, as well as those who grew up in the village and want to return for the day.

Mark Stoyle, a professor of early modern history at the University of Southampton, previously told the BBC the exact origins of May Day were not known.

"The earliest records of it are in the 1200s, so it probably stretches back way beyond then," he said.

From then on there was a lot of evidence of celebrations taking place across the country.

Barker said: "We've got to try our best to keep it going. We're all volunteers doing our best.

"As my generation fade away, one is hopeful that other people will come forward."

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