Posts: 4,232
Threads: 875
Joined: Apr 2002
Reputation:
0
What on earth has happened to the festival? It's the Queens Golden Jubilee, a time to party but there doesn't seem to be much happening.
When it was the silver jubilee, we had a special edition festival guide, in fact I've probably still got it hidden away somewhere in an old box...
Actually I'd like to know whats happening on jubilee weekend as I'm visiting family for a few days in Leyland.
Martin
In The Pink
Martin ~
Posts: 4,232
Threads: 875
Joined: Apr 2002
Reputation:
0
I thought the organisers had an argument with the council. I don't know if it's a permanent thing or if they are waiting for proper funding. Would be good for the town to get it going again.
Martin
In The Pink
Martin ~
Posts: 4,654
Threads: 200
Joined: Apr 2002
Reputation:
0
quote:
It's the Queens Golden Jubilee, a time to party but there doesn't seem to be much happening.
Actually I'd like to know whats happening on jubilee weekend as I'm visiting family for a few days in Leyland.
Martin
In The Pink
Haven't heard of much happening round here either! There were street parties for the Silver Jubilee - can't imagine many of those happening this time.
If you're up for Jubilee weekend, Martin, why not have a forum meet?Just name the pub!
Posts: 4,232
Threads: 875
Joined: Apr 2002
Reputation:
0
Good idea Linda, not sure how much I'm going to fit in the four days. I'm sure there will be pubs involved though.. There's a street party in Glastonbury high street for the jubilee, shame I'll miss it.
Martin
In The Pink
Martin ~
Posts: 4
Threads: 0
Joined: Apr 2002
Reputation:
0
Peter
I suspected that you might be a member of this forum and that you would have a thing or two to say about the festival.
It probably hit it's best in the year that the theme was the curious combination of 'flowers and flight' when the Motors produced an amazing set of floats. These must have cost a fortune and probably had a detrimental effect on the share price.
Local festivals down here in the South East are very drab by comparison.
Martin
Martin
Posts: 30
Threads: 2
Joined: May 2002
Reputation:
0
I heard about the Festival being "no more". Thought it was a shame. I recall many happy hours tramping through the streets to the park with others from Methodist Youth Club and whatever idea we had for that year. I fondly recall lugging a large papier mache caterpillar head (a la Chinese New Year) for what seemed like miles!! Used to love the 5-a-side too...
Posts: 4
Threads: 1
Joined: Jun 2002
Reputation:
0
Can anyone tell me how long the Festival had been running, as when my parent's moved to Leyland 1963 and can't remember one been on then. first one I remember the main field was more towards the carpark than the duck pond. Did it have a break?
Posts: 9,242
Threads: 140
Joined: May 2002
Reputation:
0
quote:
Can anyone tell me how long the Festival had been running, as when my parent's moved to Leyland 1963 and can't remember one been on then. first one I remember the main field was more towards the carpark than the duck pond. Did it have a break?
The festival first started in 1889 and apart from the war ran until 1936 when it closed due to lack of funding. It started again after the war and I'm unsure of the date it restarted. I certainly remember as a child there being no festival .
I've logged onto Leyland Morris Men's site. Their dancing, energy and ability to quaff large amounts of ale without collapsing, always inspired me.
---------------
The first Leyland May Festival took place on 29th May 1889. It was organised by the teachers for the children of both the Day and the Sunday Schools of St Andrew's Parish Church, as an 'adjunct' to the morning perambulations of the local Friendly Societies. It was a great success and plans were put in hand for a bigger event the following year, and which was to include adults. Accordingly the men's Morris team first appeared in 1890 as an integral part of the May Festival.
Very soon after their debut they were invited to an event in Chorley; this saw a Chorley team appear in 1891. The Chorley team, in turn, was invited to Horwich, and a Horwich team appeared in 1892. The visit to Preston in 1892 of both the Leyland and Chorley teams saw a Preston team emerge for 1893. So, like dropping a stone into a pond, the ripples spread outwards: teams appeared at Blackrod, Adlington, Mawdesley and Longridge and juvenile teams appeared at Leyland (1895) and at Preston, for example.
But where did the people of Leyland get their idea for a Morris team? The first trainer of the Morris Dancers was Josiah Kirkman, head gardener for the Stannings family - owners of the local bleach works. Was it his idea? What was the source of his knowledge? The Abram team was already in existence, was there any connection? Some locals believe that representatives from Leyland had already visited Knutsford to see the May Day there (founded 1864) even before the first Leyland May Festival took place - no doubt to see what they could copy! Well, is it true? To date we don't know, but we do know that they were there in both 1890 and 1892. If they went to Knutsford before their own Festival began, might these people have brought back the idea for a troupe of Morris dancers? We know that visiting Morris teams were a regular feature of the Knutsford event, particularly the Godley Hill team from Hyde. Might they have carefully copied the steps and figures used by just one of the teams? Might they have copied fragments from several teams? Or might they simply have gained an overall impression, returned to Leyland and made the rest up for themselves?! We don't know.
We do know that - apart from a break for the Great War - the Leyland Morris Dancers continued until 1936, when the May Festival ceased because of financial difficulties. Immediately after the Second World War the dances (the Street Dance and the Stage Dance) were revived by a mixed team from the youth club of the parish of St James, on the western side of Leyland, for their Parish Walking Day. Their leader and teacher was 'Gus' Harris of the 1930's Leyland team, with help from Jimmy Grant who had been leader of the Leyland team from the early 1920's.
The appearance of this mixed St James' team at the Festival of Britain celebrations (1951) in Leyland, aroused interest (and, in some, annoyance!) sufficient to see a brief revival of the men's team. Again there was a lull until Mrs Hilda Ratcliffe - leader of the Leyland Folk Dance Group, and daughter of a past Leyland Morris Dancer - began to work towards a further revival of the men's team in time for National Folk Week 1967. Since that time the modern Leyland Morris Men have continued to keep alive the Leyland dances, and have added to them a wide variety of other types of dance.
The team has a close relationship with the local community, and especially with the modern Leyland Festival - which is regarded as one of the highlights of their annual programme.
The team have danced at venues as far apart as Kent and the Isle of Man, Devon and Scotland, and they regularly exchange visits with a dance team from Angers in the Loire Valley of Western France. They have been heard on both Local and National Radio, been seen on Regional TV and have appeared on the stage of the Dominion Theatre, London, and at the prestigious Sidmouth International Folklore Festival.
The significant owl hoots in the night.
Posts: 4,232
Threads: 875
Joined: Apr 2002
Reputation:
0
Blimey Noel, are you testing the limit of postings on here [img]martinsig.gif[/img]
[img]martinsig.gif[/img]
In The Pink
Martin ~
