Barwick Maypole Raising and Gala, 2005
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Barwick Maypole Raising and Gala, 2005
From the Barwicker No. 78
June 2005
30th May, 2005, was a Bank Holiday. The
weather was warm and sunny. It was more than six
years since the last Maypole Raising. The event
had been well covered beforehand on local radio
and in the local press. As a result there was a
very large attendance at the 2005 Maypole
Raising. The event was organised by the new
committee who took over when the last committee
resigned nearly three years previously. In that
period the committee formed the organisation into
the Barwick-in-Elmet Maypole Trust and is in
the process of becoming a registered charity.
There were a number of changes as a result of
there being a fresh team with no detailed records
of the previous years. There was an illustrated
programme on sale. There was a new pole as there
was uncertainty about the old pole which had been
in position for the last six years. It was cut
down by chain saw on Easter Monday 2005.
The day was quite different from previous
days in that the heavy hand of the insurers
directed that old and trusted methods had to be
rejected. Industrial practices had usurped
agricultural methods. Cranes, tele-hoisters and
hard hats were in evidence - the pitch forks and
ladders were not to be seen. However ropes and
rope teams were retained. Rope team members had
undergone safety training from Nigel Trotter, the
Maypole Chairman, on the previous Sunday on Hall
Tower Field.
The pattern of the day's events was also
different. The Maypole Raising started promptly
at 11 a.m. The pole was carried by the rope team
members from Hall Tower Field. There was then a
delay while the crane was made ready and the
ropes were attached to the pole. The pole had
not been taken directly to the hole as in
previous years but was laid some way aside of
the hole to enable the crane to be to be
positioned in line with the hole.
The directions for raising the pole had to
be the responsibility of the crane supervisor
instead of the polemaster as had been the case up
to then. The same crane team had been present at
Easter when the old pole had been cut down. When
the pole was being raised a tele-hoister helped
initially to raise and hold the base of the pole
until the crane could take full control of the
pole. The view from Main Street was interesting
as the crane and the Maypole made eye-catching
angles against the roof of the Gascoigne Arms.
Once the pole was close to being upright,
the five rope teams took up the strain in the
usual way and were used to ensure that the pole
was vertical. The hard task of filling in the
hole and tamping it began. Some time after noon,
the raising of the pole was complete.
The next stage of the day began at 1 p.m.
when the parade left the school for Hall Tower
Field. This year there was only one float, which
carried the Maypole Queen, Maddie Cornforth, and
her entourage. Only one farm felt it was in a
position to provide a float for the procession -
a big change from past years. The schoolchildren
walked in the parade. This was led by Peter
Weatherill in his Town Crier's uniform followed
by the Sea Scout band from York, the Maypole
Queen's float, the schoolchildren, the Lord
Mayor, Cllr. William Hyde, and the Lady Mayoress
of Leeds in their car, Morris men, the Theakston
Brewery's horses and carriage which carried the
garlands, a juggler walking on stilts, various
vintage cars and the horses and hounds of the
Bramham Hunt.
The events on Hall Tower Field started at
2.15pm. The Maypole Queen accompanied by her
Maid of Honour, Phoebe Hainsworth, the crown
bearer, Alex Kerry, the equerries Nikolas O'Dwyer
and Jon Holland, and the train bearers, Bethany
Blair and Bradley Foster, took part in the
crowning of the Maypole Queen. The Lady Mayoress crowned the
Queen, who made her accustomed speech thanking
all who had made the day possible. Her attendants
bowed and curtsied to her and presented flowers
to the platform party. After the ceremony, there
was maypole dancing by the children of the
Primary School. Then followed a short hymn and
prayer by the Rector.
At about 4 p.m. the garlands were raised in a
different manner from previously years. The
garlands, made by sewing parties in the village,
included a theme in each one this year. The
themes were sewn in to illustrate aspects of the
village - the Church, the School, the Cricket
Club and the Football Club. The practice of
hanging baskets from the garlands was
discontinued. Children raised the garlands one
by one on a rope up to the man suspended from the
crane in a seat. While this was happening the
church bells were being rung.
As a final act, the "normal" spectacle of
a villager climbing the pole took place. This
year the climber, Chris Brown, had to wear a
safety harness. Unfortunately his attempt
failed, not least in part because the new pole,
while being the same height as the old pole
(nearly 86 feet), is noticeably thicker at the
top thus making the task of gripping the pole
more tiring The pole differed in one more
respect for the fox was mounted on roller
bearings which should allow it to spin for the
next three years in response to the wind.
One additional new feature of the day was
the presence of market stalls at the northern end
of Elmwood lane and in front of the Methodist
Church. They drew large crowds, kept the area
near Hall Tower Field and the Maypole very busy
and provided an a occupation for visitors between
events. A busy, enjoyable and tiring day was had
by all.
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