Maypole 1987
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Maypole 1987
March 1990 Barwicker No.17
March 1990
The following account of the maypole festivals held three years
ago is made up of extracts from the 'Skyrack Express', reproduced
here with the kind permission of the Editor.
Thursday, 19 March 1987.
Excitement is beginning to mount in
Barwick with the approach of the traditional maypole festival
which every three years brings this normally quiet village into the
spotlight. Already preparations are well under way, with four
organisations busy making the brightly-coloured garlands that hang
from the brackets part-way up the white, red and blue structure.
Teams from the Barwick Wives' Group, the Royal British Legion
Women's Section, the C. of E. Junior and Infants School and the
John Rylie House Community Centre are canvassing their supporters
for donations of silk and satin materials to make what will be a
total of over 6000 individual rosettes.
Volunteers working under the auspices of the Manpower Services
Commission are helping to tidy Hall Tower Field and erect a new
boundary fence. And the Maypole Committee are beavering away
behind the scenes.
This year it is hoped that a volunteer will climb the pole and
attach ropes for the lowering, then climb again after the raising
to release them and continue to the top to spin the gilded fox
weathervane which traditionally completes the ceremony. In 1984
insurance complications meant that the local firemen with a
turntable ladder had to be called in to substitute.
At the end of the month the maypole committee will circulate
its triennial report and statement of accounts round the village
and this will mark the end of an era for the chairman, Mr Stan
Robshaw, who is retiring after 36 years' unbroken service. When
officials are appointed at the public meeting which follows the
lowering there will be a new chairman and a new pole-master -
another task that Mr Robshaw feels that it is time to relinquish.
"At 72 I believe it is time I stepped down," he said. "The
responsibility weighs a bit heavy as time goes on and I think it
would be wrong to hold on to office when there are young people
who can take over. I must now charge others to do what 1 was
charged to do in 1951." In the mean time his work continues. He
is looking for volunteers to handle ropes and ladders around the
maypole during both ceremonies and for a brass band to lead the
procession round the Village on gala day.
Thursday, 23 April 1987.
Barwick's unique tradition of
lowering the village maypole every third Easter was re-enacted on
Monday without a hitch. Blue skies greeted the crowds of visitors
who thronged the village streets - some to watch and some to help
the locals man the system of ropes and ladders used to ease the
pole to the ground.
Despite a quite-strong wind it came down in what was thought
to be a record time, a tribute to the efforts of the maypole
committee treasurer John Leak who was taking on the task of
guiding operations as pole master for the first time. A huge cheer
went up from the audience as the horizontal pole was lifted on
willing shoulders and carried to the nearby Hall Tower Field where
its traditional white, red and blue decorations will be refurbished.
To close the evening Mr Leak invited everyone to go to the
triennial public meeting and to return on Spring Bank Holiday
Tuesday (May 26) to see the pole raised again.
Thursday, 21 May, 1987.
The queen-elect, 12 year-old Vicky
Crabtree, and her maid-of honour Dawn Allan, will travel in the
crown coach. With them will be crown-bearer Andrew Sibson,
equerries Philip Crabtree and Steven Kemp, and train-bearers Andrew
Talbot and Emma Whitehead. A retinue of little girl attendants
from the school, together with teams of local dancers and other
local children will follow on decorated floats.
Growing up in the maypole tradition played a big part in 12-
year old Vicky Crabtree's decision to enter the maypole queen
competition this year. Her mother Jennifer is a past maid-of-
honour as is her 26-year old sister Susan and her other sister
Deborah (21) also entered when she was the appropriate age.
Vicky has surpassed their achievements, however, and she is
thrilled at the prospect. '1 have lived all my life in the village
and I think the maypole is very important,' she said. '1 have
never missed a ceremony and I very much wanted to be part of it.'
She will not be the only member of the family taking part this
time. Her 10-year old brother Philip is an equerry and the family
farm at Syke House, Potterton, has long been supplying tractors and
trailers for the gala procession.
Thursday, 28 May 1987.
At the last minute the sun decided to
shine on Barwick's maypole-raising gala on Tuesday warming the
already festive atmosphere of the crowds who thronged the village.
They saw the gaily-decorated procession wind its way through the
streets to the Hall Tower Field, led by the youngsters of three
visiting jazz bands who later thrilled with demonstrations of their
playing and marching artistry.
On the gala stage the maypole queen Vicky Crabtree was crowned
by the Lady Mayoress of Leeds, Mrs Sheila Stavely. Official guests
then stayed to watch a display of maypole dancing and plaiting by
children of the village school.
 |
| The Platform Party |
A surprise insertion into the programme was the presentation
of a cut glass decanter to Mr Stan Robshaw, who retired this year
after 36 years as chairman of the maypole committee.
Stalls, games and sideshows around the field provided extra
entertainment until the early-evening raising of the maypole.
There was a carnival feeling as the pole was carried to its site in
the village centre and crowds of willing volunteers helped pole
master John Leak to raise it into position. Local climber Simon
Walker made his usual ascent to the height of the pole's four
garlands to release the steadying ropes, then the evening was
rounded off with a display by Leeds Morris Men.
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