" MAYDAY "

                              

                        

                ( THANKYOU DONNA FOR THIS GREAT GRAPHIC)

 

A LONG TIME AGO WHEN MY FIRST SON WAS ONLY A TINY TOT .

 

ONE MORNING  THROUGH MY LETTER BOX THE VILLAGE MAGAZINE DID DROP. 

 

MY SON HE WAS AS ALWAYS BUSY LOOKING AT HIS BOOKS .

 

CAN YOU SEE HIM SAT ABOVE GIVING ME CHEEKY LOOKS . (HA)

 

HE LOVED HIS LITTLE BOOKS WHEN HE WAS VERY  SMALL.

 

HE WOULD SIT THERE SO CONTENT AND NOT A MINUTES BOTHER AT ALL.

 

I PICKED THE MAGAZINE UP AND WAS  READING  AT THE TIME.

 

AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR  THE MAYPOLE AND THOUGHT OH! THAT SOUNDS FINE.

 

SO I GOT MY SON ALL DRESSED UP AND OFF WE BOTH DID GO.

 

TO WATCH  THE CELEBRATIONS OF THE " GAWTHORPE  MAYPOLE SHOW " .

 

THE MAYPOLE WAS TRIMMED UP EACH MAY DAY ONLY FOR THE GIRLS .

 

TO DO THER TWISTS AND FANCY STEPS AND ALL THERE  FANCY  TWIRLS.

 

 

WHAT A COLOURFUL SIGHT IT WAS WATCHING THIS GREAT FETE.

 

WITH THE BAND AND FANCY DRESS PARADE MARCHING DOWN THE STREET..

 

 

 

THE MAYPOLE AND THE COAL RACE BOTH THESE HAVE CARRIED ON.

 

THROUGH MANY GENERATIONS EVEN NOW THE COALMINES  GONE.

 

THE MEN IN THE MAY DAY COAL RACE WOULD CARRY A SACK OF COAL.

 

UPON THERE BACKS AND LET ME TELL YOU SOME OF THEM WERE OLD.

 

THEY SET OFF AT A FAST SPEED BUT VERY QUICKLY THEY SLOWED DOWN.

 

THE WIEGHT OF THAT BAG OF COAL FILLED THERE FACES WITH SOME FROWNS .

 

TO CARRY A  50KG SACK OF COAL ON YOUR BACK FOR OVER  A MILE.

 

YOU HAD TO BEVERY FIT AND CARRY IT IN STYLE. 

 

                          

 

THE WINNER OF THE RACE RECEIVED  A SIGNED TROPHY FOR HIS PRIZE.

 

PRESENTED BY THE COMMITEE HE THEN HELD IT UP WITH PRIDE .

 

GAWTHORPE IN PAST TIMES HAVE BEEN THE CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD.

 

IT'S IN THE GUINNESS BOOK OF RECORDS AND ALSO THE GIRLS BEST TWIRLS.

 

ONE OF THE VERY  FIRST MAYPOLES WAS  ERECTED WAY BACK WHEN .

 

RICHARD THE SECOND I'VE READ  WAS IN REIGN AT THIS TIME THEN.

 

MAYPOLE DANCING IS POPULAR AND CELEBRATED ROUND THE WORLD. 

 

AND DANCING THROUGH HENRY'S V111'S REIGN THE GIRLS THEY ALL STILL TWIRLED.

 

THEN  CAME OLIVER CROMWELL AND HE THEN BANNED IT ALL.

 

AND DISSAPOINTED THE PUBLIC GAWTHORPE FOLKS  WENT UP THE WALL.

 

BUT THEN WHEN CHARLES THE SECOND HE CAME INTO REIGN .

 

HE BROUGHT BACK THE FESTIVITIES SO GAWTHORPE STARTED AGAIN.

 

THERE  FIRST POLE WAS A BIRCH TREE CUT DOWN FROM THE LOCAL WOODS .

 

BUT THE WIND IT GOT THE BETTER AND BLEW IT DOWN SO NOT VERY GOOD.

 

WELL THEN  IN NINETEEN EIGHTY SIX A METAL ONE WAS RAISED

 

BY THE LOCAL COLLIERS AND THEY WERE ALL WELL PRAISED.

 

HERE IT IS NOW STANDING TO THIS VERY DAY.

 

IN THE CENTRE OF THE VILLAGE IN OUR NATIONS COLOURS GAY.

 

 

     

 

 

ALL FUNDS RAISED ON  MAYDAY WERE FOR THE OLD

FOLK THERE.

 

AND A TEA  PARTY AND DRINKS LAID ON FOR THEM IN THE VILLAGE SQUARE.

 

THE CELEBRATIONS  STILL CARRY ON HERE EVERY FIRST MONDAY IN MAY.

 

AND THE PEOPLE OF THIS VILLAGE THEY REALY DO MAKE HAY.

 

USUALLY IN THE EVENING YOU CAN WATCH A SHORT REPORT.

 

ON THE LOCAL CALENDAR NEWS OF THE COAL RACE

THIS GREATSPORT.

 

THIS YEAR I'M TOLD IT'S MONDAY THE SEVENTH SO

I'M THINKING  I JUST MIGHT.

 

TAKE A RIDE BACK OUT THERE AND ONCE AGAIN

ENJOY THE SIGHT.

 

OF ALL THE MEN IN THE COAL RACE AND AND THE

MAYPOLE IN FULL SWING..

 

IF I DO I KNOW FOND MEMORIES FOR ME IT WILL

CERTAINLY BRING.

 

SO WHATEVER YOU HAVE PLANNED FOR MAY DAY

ALL MY J/LAND FRIENDS.

 

I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY THEM  UNTIL YOUR MAY DAY ENDS.

 

A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY IV'E MENTIONED  HERE THIS TIME.

 

TELLING YOU ALL ABOUT  GAWTHORPE HERE IN   " MY SIMPLE RHYME".