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Whittlesey Straw Bear 2007 |
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Subject: RE: Whittlesey Straw Bear 2007 From: LesB Date: 16 Jan 07 - 01:48 PM What a warm Whittlesea. We enjoyed ourselves again this year (Southport Swords), although our Sat night tour was a bit lackluster this year owing to the drunken younger set having taken over a lot of the pubs. (The Hero was closed by the police). We had our usual warm welcome at The Railway and were treated to a 'feather duster sword dance'! by members of Persephone. At our first stand on Sat morning, outside the Black Bull we made a sword & broom lock (6 swords & 3 brooms)with some of Mepel Molly. Did anybody get a photo? If so can they e-mail it to Les Brown ( e-mail address on our website). Cheers Les |
Subject: RE: Whittlesey Straw Bear 2007 From: Mrs_Annie Date: 16 Jan 07 - 04:19 PM Yes,we noticed them, they all appeared to crawl out of the woodwork just after the finale. First year it's been that noticeable. Shame |
Subject: RE: Whittlesey Straw Bear 2007 From: IanC Date: 17 Jan 07 - 03:49 AM Apparently, drunken fights are a feature of a number of the Whittlesey pubs on a Saturday night these days, especially The Hero. Some speculation that it might get shut down sometime soon. |
Subject: RE: Whittlesey Straw Bear 2007 From: GUEST Date: 17 Jan 07 - 10:05 AM |
Subject: RE: Whittlesey Straw Bear 2007 From: GUEST,Black Borderer Date: 17 Jan 07 - 10:12 AM Mr Fox came to my local festival a few years back, from what I heard they won't be asked back. It's a nice idea but half the team couldn't dance in time. You can get away with anything if it's dark any you have a few sparks and bangs. BB |
Subject: RE: Whittlesey Straw Bear 2007 From: GUEST,Gadaffi Date: 17 Jan 07 - 11:11 AM The programme said that the Seven Champions were in town. Did anybody see them and, if so, who was in them? I was performing with Mepal Molly so didn't see anything. |
Subject: RE: Whittlesey Straw Bear 2007 From: IanC Date: 17 Jan 07 - 11:43 AM No. For some reason they weren't there. We had to go on a bit fast in one or two places because they weren't around. Don't know what happened to them. :-) |
Subject: RE: Whittlesey Straw Bear 2007 From: Bill t' bodger Date: 17 Jan 07 - 02:27 PM dear guest Black Borderer where is your local festival? |
Subject: RE: Whittlesey Straw Bear 2007 From: Wheatman Date: 17 Jan 07 - 05:24 PM |
Subject: RE: Whittlesey Straw Bear 2007 From: Wheatman Date: 17 Jan 07 - 05:38 PM As far as I can gather Seven Champs did not turn up on the day. There was trouble in town on saturday evening. I do not think there were any folkies involved but we will have to check with the land lords for the answers rather than rely on heresay. Yes, one of the pubs has trouble most evenings. What is clear there will have to be discussion with the Police and the County Council regarding the future. Unfortunately we think the event will have to become more prescriptive if we are to avoid a repeat of 1909. You have probably seen the last Straw Bear in its present free and easy foremat. |
Subject: RE: Whittlesey Straw Bear 2007 From: Lilith60 Date: 18 Jan 07 - 07:22 AM Don't think Whittlesey is any worse than many other small towns on the youth-on-Saturday-night front. Yes, it's getting worse year after year - all those cute kids that found fun in the dancing 5 or 7 years ago have grown up and have nothing to do and nowhere to go. When the pubs stay open late for Straw Bear they think that all their birthdays have come at once. Holmfirth was more rowdy in 2006 than in previous years. Wath-upon-Dearn is "interesting" on a WEEKDAY evening! One of our local pubs has shut because of weekend fighting and that's in a very small town. But, Whittlesey is their town - we are the visitors and if WE behave the police can have no complaint about Straw Bear. And yes, the Folkies need to behave! I came across a group of Morris Men peeing behind a wall and later on someone in kit being sick in the gutter. Not very nice nor very polite to the locals. The majority of us visit for one or two days a year - they live there for 365! It's their town, not ours... (and Bodger, don't rise to the bait - the sour grapes are so rank I can smell them in the Pennines!) |
Subject: RE: Whittlesey Straw Bear 2007 From: Widmerpool Date: 18 Jan 07 - 07:40 AM Why, what happened in 1909? |
Subject: RE: Whittlesey Straw Bear 2007 From: IanC Date: 18 Jan 07 - 08:17 AM Police closed it down. |
Subject: RE: Whittlesey Straw Bear 2007 From: GUEST,Gadaffi Date: 18 Jan 07 - 10:42 AM ... actually, despite what is published elsewhere, the local newspaper reports Straw Bear Tuesday being held as late as 1913, so whatever happened in or before 1909 wasn't its last celebration. There did seem to be more non-folk people around this year. The Letter B was packed, as was the Boat. The Hero had its annual beer festival, and it was good to see the George open again after last year's debacle. |
Subject: RE: Whittlesey Straw Bear 2007 From: GUEST,Noreen Date: 18 Jan 07 - 12:25 PM Stewart and I had a wondeful weekend in Whittlesey. The locals couldn't have been nicer, very friendly and helpful to these strange folkies who invade their town for the weekend- but the thing is, this festival is THEIRS and they enjoy sharing it with others. Some others festivals feel as if they are 'grafted on' to the place where they are held, and the locals have no stake in it. It was only really Saturday evening that the pubs got full of drunken youngsters, the rest of the weekend the town was very pleasant. The police and the publicans seemed to deal with the problems very well, not letting trouble spread into the other pubs. We had a lovely sing in the back bar of the Boat. The landlord gave us a few songs too when it had quietened down a bit :0) Looking forward to next year! |
Subject: RE: Whittlesey Straw Bear 2007 From: GUEST,Wheatman Date: 18 Jan 07 - 02:31 PM Yes I know it continued after 1909 but it is generally accepted that the over zelous inspector of police made moves around then to stop SB, according to the Golden Bough. The writer, non other than the nephew of Sir Harry Smith was a Whittlesey man though not living in Whittlesey at the time. I suspect the real reason for SB going to sleep was the 14 - 18 war. I am sure the event, at the start of the 20th centry was nothing like the event we have now. I think the main reason for participating in SB then was to demand money with menaces and that was why it was as unacceptable event in the eyes of a certain strata of society in the town. The task before the strawbearers is to enhance the positive and minimise the negative., |
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