Near us over the weekend was a Fete in a small village near us. Because taking a Saturday off work is a novelty to me thanks to work, I tagged along. It was only once we were in a car that I realised I hadn't been to one in years. Even then, I had only really been to the same one so I couldn't call myself an authority on them, but I liked the idea of visiting one, as I used to run riot at them as a kid.
A Fete, in case you don't know, is one of those traditional English things that is likely never to disappear as long as people live in the countryside and people feel nostalgic. There are stalls full of Cakes and Booze, usually surrounding and facing inwards towards a village green. There are traditional games-skittles usually-a beer tent, some tea stalls and a raffle which looks like all of the best bits from a harvest festival on a very small table.
Needless to say, this one was very traditional and was therefore very good. It had loads of plants and jams and we ended up drinking tea out of Ancient WI mugs. What amazed me though was the Maypole.
The Maypole I danced around must have the bane of my Primary School Teacher's life. For at least a month we had it set up in a playgorund and we would spend an hour dancing around it hand in hand in a giant circle. The songs we had to dance all sounded like sailor's hornpipes and I spent most of the time standing in the middle, as at least four of us helped to balance it on each side/hold the ribbons. I can remember it being a very old white plank that seemed enormous to me-like the size of a 2 storey house. The ropes were old and faded and I can remember that at least once or twice it actually broke during the performance.
It occured to me that apart from other family members, Morris dances I have had to sit through (just how did the Scottish get the fun dances, the Irish get the money making dancing and the English end up with men with bells, beards and hitting planks of wood together?), seeing the little kids at this Fete was the only other example of the dances I have seen. I was suprised-the pole seemed tiny compared to what I can remember dancing around.
And now on an unrelated note-Just how cool is the Master on the new Doctor Who?!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
this maypole business sounds like the Devil to me
Huh. Funny. Fetes where I come from also involve much booze. However, instead of maypoles, there are huge speakers with extra bass that can be heard from miles away. And instead of raffles, there are a multiude of sweaty, scantily clad people bumping and grinding against each other and gyrating quite scandalously. And instead of children, there are perverts copping a feel. And instead of nostalgia, there is indiscriminate crotch-to-ass-to-crotch action with perfect strangers.
So pretty much the same, eh? Dude, culture crossover!
Post a Comment