Green Man Festival, Bradford on Avon

[puddleshark]

Seven thirty yesterday morning found me hurtling along the potholed back lanes of Dorset in a rackety old diesel van with indifferent suspension, being driven by a person dressed as a pirate. (Not sure what the other motorists made of this when we stopped off at Tesco's Shaftesbury to buy fuel...)

Made it to Bradford on Avon in very good time - pirates don't hang around - and eventually found the festival car park (once we realised that "well-signposted" meant we had to look out for the little A4 sheets taped to lampposts). Then there was a twenty minute walk across a field and down to the town.

Having arrived well before our first dance spot, we headed to Trinity Church, which serves tea and cake to the dancers and musicians during the festival.


Trinity Churchyard. Border morris dancers in tall feathery hats, stalls, table tombs.


Bradford on Avon. This was my first visit to the town, and it really is spectacular. The River Avon runs through it, edged with 19th century cloth mills.


Thirteenth century town bridge (which has to cope with twenty-first century traffic. The traffic in Bradford on Avon is the worst I have ever seen, anywhere. I thought the traffic in Corfe Castle was bad, but it's nothing on this...)


Dancers by the riverside. We danced at this spot later in the day, taking it in turns with two other sides: "Right by the funeral directors", as the Squire of one of the sides commented to the audience. Teenagers waved at us from canoes as they paddled by.

A very, very warm day. Temperatures up in the mid twenties in this Cotswold stone town. So it was fortunate most of the dance spots were by the river and a bit of a breeze off the water kept things bearable.


Enigma Morris, in Westbury Gardens, dancing in the shade of the trees.


During the festival, the Green Man wanders through the town, accompanied by musicians and various Beasts.









In Westbury Gardens, in the green shade under the trees, with the drum beating, we were drawn into a circle dance around the Green Man, and I joined hands with a deer.









The Green Man & his companion beasts wandered off, and it was time to leave the green shade of the gardens for the fierce sun in town. Dancing, snatching rest and photos and a swig of water, dancing again.




Cogs & Wheels Morris.


Erstwhile Morris, who are accompanied by the full moon.


Bathampton Morris Men.


Pigsty Morris.


Winterbourn Down Morris.


The Knights of King Ina. One of the dancers is famed for the height of his leaps, and the other dancers were encouraging him with shouts of "Higher! Higher!"


Ragged Oak Morris.

Comments

[heleninwales]

Lovely pictures! It must have been hot dancing, but it looks as though much fun was had.

[puddleshark]

Thanks!

It was very, very hot to be dancing in costume. Though it makes a change from dancing in the rain!

It was such a magical day - I'm glad I went. Particularly as it looks like this might be the last year of the festival. The gentleman who organises it is giving up, and is struggling to find anyone to take over.

[heleninwales]

That's sad that the festival might end. We had a carnival in town last Saturday. It was always a big thing when the children were young, but over the years it fizzled out. The new version seems to have been very successful, so a long break seems to have been good for it. But the Green Man Festival is obviously thriving, so it would be a shame to lose it.

[kaishin108]

What a spectacular event! Reading your comment above I am sorry to hear it might be the last one. That city, how amazing that it's so old.

[puddleshark]

The good news is that it looks like the festival is back on for next year! I really hope to go again. The atmosphere was just amazing. So much fun.

[kaishin108]

That is wonderful news, I hope you can go. :)

[ladyofastolat]

I was there, too! It was indeed very hot!

It looks like next year's festival is on, though. From their website, updated after this year's event: "Planning for next year, on Sat 10th May 2025, is already underway and we’ll be back with some new venues and exciting new ideas. Put the date in your dairies." (sic)

[puddleshark]

Oh, that is good news! After all the kerfuffle this year with it being cancelled and then swiftly uncancelled, I was worried that it might prove too much for the organisers.

I shall put the date in my dairy.

[nikonf3]

This is lovely, especially the costumes.

[puddleshark]

The costumes were spectacular. I wish my photos had come out better, but I was just snatching shots between dancing.