Green Man Festival 2025

[puddleshark]

Dancers and stalls at the Green Man Festival, Bradford on Avon. I don't remember the festival being quite this busy and crowded last year. Perhaps because the festival was being co-run by the town council this year, and the pound signs lit up in their eyes at the prospect of renting street stall spaces to as many sellers as possible?

The atmosphere was still wonderful - a little like being at a medieval great fair - but I did struggle a bit with the crowds.




Video - click to go to Flickr and play. The procession of Jill in the Green through the streets.

I didn't take many photos this year, as I was dancing, (and the photos that I did take did not come out well because of the bright light). But have a few random shots anyway...


Wild Moon Morris.




Garston Gallopers.






Elemental Border Morris.


Cam Valley Morris Men.


Bow Brook Border Morris, who were extremely entertaining. Their Squire introduced their first dance - a local stick dance - explaining that it was very controversial, because traditionally it was only ever performed by men. But since there were no longer any male morris dancers in the village, the women were performing it instead. They then produced some very tiny sticks, held in a very suggestive position, and proceeded to whack the hell out of them.


Bow Brook Border, with proper stick.








Belle D'Vain, Northwest Clog Morris.


Armaleggan Border Morris, their dance invaded by a Hobby horse.


Hobby horse, with clacky jaws to traumatise a whole new generation of tiny tots. (I was scared by the crocodile at a Punch & Judy show when I was a tiny child. This sort of thing is traditional).

Comments

[sartorias]

That looks like such fun! The vid was charming.

I really like that big Wold Moon Morris photo with the swirling streamers.

[puddleshark]

Equal parts fun and exhausting!

Those Border morris costumes looking amazing when they spin round, ribbons and rags flying.

[kaishin108]

So festive! :)

[puddleshark]

It is a lot of fun. But I'm glad it's only once a year. I need to recover!

[watervole]

I get a 404 error on Jill in the Green.

[puddleshark]

Drat. It looks like they have already taken down that page. That's a shame. Jill in the Green has such a spectacular outfit.

[nikonf3]

This is lovely.

[puddleshark]

It is such a wonderful festival. The atmosphere is always lovely.