BS: Whit Sunday May 20 2018

Subject: RE: BS: Whit Sunday May 20 2018
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 19 May 18 - 08:43 AM

Did Rivington Pike a good few times meself, Will (I went to school in Bolton). But our regular walk was from Nick o'Pendle to Pendle Water or, every Good Friday, climbing Pendle from Barley. The area around Pendle is Lancashire's best-kept secret.

Subject: RE: BS: Whit Sunday May 20 2018
From: Will Fly
Date: 19 May 18 - 07:50 AM

When we lived in Horwich in the early 1950s, our family walk was always up Rivington Pike, through the Chinese gardens and past the Pigeon Tower. My grandad used to tell me that the 18th century shooting lodge on the summit was "Cromwell's watchtower" - completely wrong of course, though the hilltop was used as a place for beacon fires down the ages.

Subject: RE: BS: Whit Sunday May 20 2018
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 18 May 18 - 06:46 AM

Never heard of the Whit Walking race, Bradfordian, but that is not surprising as we only emigrated to Yorkshire 5 years ago :-) Although I have worked in Bradford for nearer to 8 years. I looked it up. Shame it has finished :-(

Subject: RE: BS: Whit Sunday May 20 2018
From: bradfordian
Date: 17 May 18 - 01:33 PM

In our new togs, we would go to a hostelry on the Bradford Whit Walk route to watch and cheer the competitors in the early part of the race. Being too young for alcohol we were furnished with lemonade whilst dad had a crafty couple of pints. After returning home for lunch we would then go to another hostelry to watch and cheer the survivors as they neared the end of the course. I believe this annual walking race having commenced in 1903, ended in 2011 as the number of entrants declined. This must have been my introduction to John Barleycorn!

Subject: RE: BS: Whit Sunday May 20 2018
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 17 May 18 - 04:09 AM

Keberoxu:
According to the Independent:

It is believed that the name comes from Pentecost being a day for baptisms, when participants would dress in white.
‘Whitsun’ is also thought to derive from the Anglo-Saxon word ‘wit’, meaning ‘understanding’, to celebrate the disciples being filled with the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.

So 'yes and no'.

Glad to clear this up :)

Subject: RE: BS: Whit Sunday May 20 2018
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 16 May 18 - 04:25 PM

Not sure it did near us, Steve. I vaguely remember us cat licks and them proddy dogs walking at the same time. But I could well have been mistaken.

I have a grand picture of my Grandad, A Russian Orthodox priest, walking with Canon Kirby, the Vicar of St Augustine's C of E church in Pendlebury.

Subject: RE: BS: Whit Sunday May 20 2018
From: keberoxu
Date: 16 May 18 - 04:13 PM

Whit means white?

Subject: RE: BS: Whit Sunday May 20 2018
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 16 May 18 - 09:47 AM

It were Whit Friday walks when I were a little lad. We'd head off into Manchester to see the parades and I seem to remember being in one lot once. Whit Friday was the day for the Catholic walks.

Subject: RE: BS: Whit Sunday May 20 2018
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 16 May 18 - 03:16 AM

A nice retrospective photo gallery from the Manchester Evening News and the good news is that it does still happen! Albeit to a lesser extend and on the Monday.

Subject: RE: BS: Whit Sunday May 20 2018
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 15 May 18 - 08:43 AM

Swinton, Manchester, 1950s and into the 60s it was "walkin' wi't' Scholars" The local primary school children all dressed in new clothes would would band together in their respective churches and then set off walking round the streets led by a marching band and men of the parish bearing banners. Not as much traffic then but it would be held on the main part of the walk. Relatives would run out and place money in the hands of the children, usually a silver sixpence.

Way after that practice had finished the Italian community in Manchester would parade statues and banners around the city centre in their own version of 'Whit walks'. Dunno if it still happens.

Subject: RE: BS: Whit Sunday May 20 2018
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 15 May 18 - 08:04 AM

Whitsun Treat on the bank holiday Monday.
Arrive at the church, all the kids and a few adults climb onto beer drays equipped with pews and bunting, and go on a ten mile drive and sing songs. Arriving an hour later at a local farmer's field where the other adults have set up swings slides, food tent etc.
A day (in the sun if lucky) then back onto the drays to return to church, again going the long way round. While the adults cleared up.

Subject: BS: Whit Sunday May 20 2018
From: bradfordian
Date: 15 May 18 - 07:40 AM

Not being a public holiday anymore, Whitsunide has slipped below the horizon.
Back in the days, what is/was your tradition/custom for Whitsuntide?
(Yes we will be singing Ladies Go Dancing at Whitsun)