I'm British for goodness sake, how am I supposed to cope with this amount of sunshine???Hubby and I escaped the cats for a walk yesterday, not far, just across the nearby river, and round the fields, both of us taking advantage of the arrival of more spring flowers.
The council have been busy putting up new sign posts in the past 12 months - now I remember my dad calling this lane 'Turkey Lane' but I thought he was kidding! As a country I think we have some of the strangest names for our lanes and even our villages, I know of a Jam Pot Lane, and a Jolly Tar Lane, and in Silverdale there is an 8 acre lane at one end, that mysteriously changes to 16 acre lane at the other end!
now this is not a sight you see very often round here - land for sale! By the time we had finished our walk, we had, in our minds, bought the land, were farming Alpaca's, rare breed sheep, cows for milk, and had a good number of silky hens - the stables had been converted into a house with workshop space and a shop. Well...we need to dream big sometimes!
But the thing that made me smile most was the arrival of the May Blossom.
I don't care what the arguments are regarding the proverb 'Ne'er cast a clout till may be out'
For me, it means the May Blossom, not the end of May.
As a child in the 70's attending the local primary school, one of my favourite after school activities was being in the May Pole class. The May pole resided in the school hall all year round, but as May approached, it was tipped over and the ribbons attached, we would choose either the yellow or pink dresses and do intricate moves that would create the 'Barbour's pole' or the 'spider web'
I can still hear the reel-to-reel player on top of the staff room roof playing old accordion tunes out over the school yard as we danced round.
The May Pole dancing was abandoned in the late 1980's after a new headmistress claimed it was a Pagan ritual not fit for a Christian school - how sad, and how misguided. ah well, perhaps it is my destiny to bring it back! ;~)
9 comments:
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I agree, I think you should make it your ambition to bring back the maypole! lol
I loved my time of summers in Sweden where the midsommer festivals are centred around the maypole, truly gorgeous to see the little girls in their summer frocks and fresh flower crowns! lovely x
The children get to dance round the may pole at nursery, will be Nathaniel's turn next spring.
Big dreams are the best, I have lots too.
And I always think that Slack Bottom (a tiny hamlet above Hebden Bridge) would be a very appropriate place for me to live and maybe run a cake shop!!
xxx
I love the idea of a May pole and what's wrong with paganism - as you say what a misguided woman. I love May blossom too, the hedgerows round here are just gorgeous at the moment. My favourite name has to be one that recently changed - boo, however it was previously called Butt Hole Road :) Carry on dreaming, that's what keeps us going.
Twiggy x
I guess if you walk up 8 acre lane and back down again then you've covered 16 acres :D
I love strange place names, it's fun just looking at maps sometimes and finding new ones.
If you're not enjoying all that sun then pop up to me and you can enjoy the rain/snow/wind we're having ;)
And I vote you bring back the may pole dancing. We've lost too many of our local customs and that is definately one I'd love to see.
We did Maypole dancing at school too, it was such fun. There's a Rampant Horse Street in Norwich, I think we can hazard a guess at what may have happened there lol.
What a good idea! - I vote you put a notice up in the postoffice window 'Wanted - ladies of a certain age for Maypole Dancing Group'. Be interesting to see what response you get!
Vicky x
I was a child in the seventies too, and remember doing country dancing, and dancing around the maypole, at at a Catholic school! It was always such a dread at who would be the first to make a mistake, and get tangled in the ribbons! I remember the music on tape too, so amusing!
Those are great lane names! Maybe we all ought to discover and post about ones local to our area? x
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I have enjoyed reading the content on here today. I hope nobody thinks I'm being smutty. I remember seeing a signpost in a country lane in Warwickshire called Bell End. I bet the locals get ribbed over that one.
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