Quote from Suibhne Astray - 'Like that picture Jim showed me from when the Padstow May thing was just one man being looked at askance by the other villagers.'

I agree with much of what you say but any pictures I've ever seen of the Mayday celebrations in Padstow, taken throughout the the last 80 years or so have never seemed to indicate any lack of enthusiasm or participation by the local inhabitants. Of course numbers have been swollen by hoards of spectators in recent years and it wasn't always that way. I'm just interested to know if there was a pivotal moment when the whole thing was in danger of vanishing as is maybe suggested by this photograph...or was it a 'freak' shot of a lone dancer taken away from the action? I suppose I should ask Doc Rowe, but maybe you know the answer.