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TRADITIONS
This page contains brief
details of some local traditions, from the ancient ritual of rush-bearing
to one we all know well - Bonfire Night.
CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE
Rush Carts a time-honoured custom with the people of Stalybridge. It was
an annual event which dates back to the 19th century and was held in late
summer. It involved a procession with a horse-drawn cart, the horses would
be adorned with garlands of
flowers and the cart itself constructed with bundles of rushes. The cart
would have a decorated cover and supporters of the event
would loan all kinds of valuables, silver watches, teaspoons, ladles,
brooches, tea-pots and kettles, to be pinned to the cover.
Musicians and morris dancers would form part of the grand procession which
wound its way through the parish to the local church where the rushes were
spread across the floor to provide a carpet for the winter.
Pace or Peace Egging occurred at Easter time during the19th and early 20th
centuries. Groups of children would blacken their faces, wear masks and
then, dressed in elaborate costumes, go from house to house at the same
time performing a rhyming play.
The main purpose of this was to secure money or consumable gifts. This
demand was made with the refrain:
" Pace egg,
Pace egg, Oather a egg or a haupeny "
Well Dressings were practised until the late19th century, in fact the last
one to take place in what is now Tameside was in
Stalybridge in 1870. It was a custom carried out to show appreciation for
wells which had never failed to supply water, and that was important
because in many houses taps were unknown.
One such well was situated near Leech's tunnel. A framework would be made
and then decorated with garlands of
flowers and festoons of foliage. Streamers and brightly coloured flags
would add to the effect and at the top were the mottoes
" Success to the spring, may it never cease to flow " and " Success to the
well ".
Stalybridge Well Dressing 1870
Castle Hall May Queen
circa 1917 |
May Day
,or Carters Day as it was sometimes referred to, was celebrated
with a procession of floats and was an occasion for decorating horses.
Schools would elect May Queens and decorated floats would feature
prominently in the parades. These continued up until the 1960's but I
suspect
by then they were known as just the Carnival.
May Day was also an occasion to dance around the Maypole.
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United Methodist Float
1920's |
Carnival Queen
Marjorie Kerridge
1930's |
The Carnival
again an annual event, it was a procession made up of decorated floats,
carnival queens, morris dancers and bands. Various businesses would
provide the floats, the town would have its own carnival queen but queens
from neighbouring towns and villages would also visit and join in the
parade.
Likewise morris dancers from all over would put in an appearance. Horses
would be decorated for the occasion with flowers, ribbons and brasses.
Various parts of the parade would be judged on their performance and were
awarded prizes accordingly.
The Carnivals finished in the 1960's but have since been revived and are
held each June.
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The Great Shire Horse
" Captain "
1960's |
Wakes
Week is a very old
tradition dating back to the first half of the 19th century. They
developed as annual holidays for the mill workers and were usually
accompanied by a fair or a market. Wakes were very different occasions in
those days, they were quite rough affairs and included things such as bull
baiting and cock fighting. Arguments would break out and fighting would
begin,
men and women alike.
In those days men gave very little attention to their fists, their clogs
were their weapons. One account of 1850 tells of a row breaking
out between a gingerbread seller and some fair goers. First his stall was
over-turned and then the poor man was kicked to death
by the angry mob. Apparently when two constables turned up, they looked at
the body as though such sights were common to
their ordinary day's work.
Fortunately more recent memories of the Wakes are much more pleasurable
and are of roundabouts, side-shows,
music and laughter. I wonder if they really did soak the black peas in the
river Tame!
Cob Coalin'
dates back to the
latter half of the 19th century. In the weeks leading up to bonfire night
children would parade round
the streets, knocking on doors to ask either for wood for their bonfires
or money to buy fireworks. In payment for whatever they received, so they
sang:
We come a cob coalin'
for bonfire night,
Tally Ho!, Tally Ho! Tally Ho!
Up a ladder
down a hole
Please will you give us a cob o' coal?
If you haven't got a cob o' coal a ha'penny will do,
If you haven't got a ha'penny, God Bless You.
Tramp, tramp, tramp the boys are marchin'
Who's that knockin' on the door;
It's little Mary Ann, with a candle in her hand,
And she's goin' down the cellar for some coal.
" Penny for the Guy
" was another
tradition relating to bonfire night. An image of Guy Fawkes would be made
by stuffing old
clothes and, as yet another means of making money, children would sit on
the pavement ( usually outside a shop ) calling
" penny for the guy ".
Bonfire Night
remember, remember, the
fifth of November. As if we could forget after having spent weeks
preparing for it.
On the night itself we would have our fire, plenty of food including
potatoes baked in the fire, parkin and lovely, chewy treacle toffee
- and of course our fireworks.
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