I went for the first time to see the Old Glory Molly Men at Rumburgh 'Buck', Suffolk, on Plough Monday. I feel that after all these years I'm fairly hard to impress, but fortified by a pint or two of 'Rusty Bucket', there was a real sense of occasion as we waited under the stars for the procession. We heard the tramp of the hob-nailed boots first, then saw the flaming torches as the Lord and Lady of the Dance (both men, of course) led the dancers along the village street dragging the plough behind them. Then came the musicians, all female, carrying lanterns and dressed in greenery.

All were 'blacked-up', a necessary precaution in days gone by, as Plough Monday was really an excuse to demand money with menaces, (if having a plough share dragged across your garden constitutes a menace)and the men ran the risk of being recognised by their employers. As befits a farm workers' tradition , the dancing was perhaps a bit more energetic and physical than some Morris sides, all greatly appreciated by a sizeable crowd. There was a break for the toast to the plough, and at the end, the ivy used during the winter dances was ceremoniously burnt as the centre-piece of a dance.

The effect, especially as the procession emerged from the darkness, was surprisingly creepy, and I look forward to taking my grandchildren next year to show them that there's a world beyond their games machines and DVD's. Old Glory have an excellent website, with lots of background information on the Plough Monday tradition.