Please to Remember the May !

                                                                                               We woke up to rain this morning ,I cant help thinking how two little girls ,about fifty five years ago would have been so disapointed ,you see yesterday ,they would have been going round the village asking for a few flowers to make their May garlands with ,people loved this and were so generous in their gifts of flowers ,home we would come and with a little help and advice from our Mums ,my Granny was the best, always had some good ideas,we would assemble our May garland ,yes the two little girls ,were Serena and myself ,my partner in crime throughout my childhood .When we had made the May garland to our satisfaction ,it would be left in the 'scullery'covered with a damp cloth over night.We didnt need calling twice to meet up and off we went ,knocking on doors ,and as it opened we would chant' Please remember the May ',(more often than not those of the people who had given the flowers, who had asked us to call back and show off our May garlands )we would receive a few pennys or some sweets,usually scarce because sweets were still rationed at this time ! The thing is I cant ever remember it raining on May day in those days ,am I looking back down the years through my rose coloured glasses ?It was soon time for School ,didnt we have a day off .......?We all took our garlands to school and how lovely they all looked in the main hall ,we each admired others, making mental notes for improveing on next years design !

And then in the afternoon,all our Mums and Grannys would come toschool along with the Rector ,the village Squire and any one else who was anyone ,govenors I,suppose , to see us dance round the May pole ,we had practised for weeks and now on the great day ,it had to be right,we each had a partner and we would be chanting quietly together .....under over ,under two ,over two ,the big boys would stand and support the pole,as we weaved our pattern down the pole I often wondered how we didnt weave them in too ! (borrowing trouble, even at that age lol )We had different sequences each forming a different plait design down the pole.All of this was watched by the May Queen and her attendants ,under neath the tree in the headmasters garden,all this took place on his lawn ,and you can just see the prefabricated 'canteen'through the trees.

The first picture was taken in my village in 1922,so you see we were carrying on a tradition that had taken place on May day for many years before. we made our little piece of history.Have a lovely May day everyone.

               With Love From JAN XXX