1 year ago
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Image source, PA Media
The carnivore is paraded done the streets of a Cambridgeshire municipality arsenic portion of an past tradition
A festival which sees participants covered successful straw and paraded done a municipality has returned to the streets aft the pandemic forced a two-year hiatus.
The Straw Bear Festival successful Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, was revived successful 1980, but it dates backmost to the 19th Century.
Its sanction refers to the participants, who were traditionally men oregon boys who would beryllium covered from caput to toed successful straw and creation successful speech for gifts.
Crowds braved mediocre upwind conditions to invited it backmost to the town.
Image source, PA Media
Image caption,Members of the Bourne Borderers Morris dancers performed during the festival
Image source, PA Media
Image caption,The Red Leicester Morris Men were suitably painted red
The customized dates backmost much than 150 years, but was stopped by the section constabulary successful 1909, which saw the "straw bears" arsenic a signifier of "cadging", oregon begging, for rewards.
It was revived successful 1980 by the Whittlesea Society, which paraded a straw carnivore done the municipality for the archetypal clip successful much than 7 decades, accompanied by his attendant keeper, musicians and dancers.
Covid-19 restrictions meant the lawsuit could not instrumentality spot successful 2021 oregon 2022, but aft a caller interruption of 2 years, the carnivore and the festival were erstwhile again welcomed backmost by enthusiastic crowds.
Alongside the straw bears, groups of Morris and Molly dancers and different people groups from crossed England besides joined successful the festivities.
Festival organiser Douglas Kell said the lawsuit was "like a carnival".
Image source, PA Media
Image caption,The Cambridgeshire upwind was acold from perfect but the crowds inactive came, and the carnivore inactive danced
Image source, PA Media
Image caption,The Pig Dyke Molly Dancers were 1 of a fig of groups which took to the streets connected Saturday
Image source, PA Media
Image caption,Old Glory Molly Dancers were adorned with foliage
Image source, Steve Huntley/BBC
Image caption,Face overgarment and glad-rags were the bid of the day
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