The Origin of the May Festival and notes of other annual festivals
The
annual three-day May Festival held on the first May Bank Holiday with a parade
of floats, games, walks, talks, stalls, an art exhibition, history display,
afternoon and evening entertainment, car boot sale, jazz bands, cream teas
and other traditional trappings (such as, of course, maypole dancing) has
become an essential part of Kimpton’s village life. It was the mid-1960s when the idea of a May Festival to raise
money for the Church was first mooted by Helen Price at a Parochial Church
Council meeting. At that time a lot of money had just been spent on
building Church House and death watch beetle had been discovered in the
Parish Church. Helen, Pat Peck and Pam Martin, the vicar's wife, organised
the first May Festival in 1965. Ron Hyde, the village milkman, was the ideal person to
persuade people to take part and to advertise the event on his on his rounds whilst having the
outgoing personality ideally suited to Master of Ceremonies. He continued
in this role until 1992 whilst also being Chairman and prime mover in
getting the Festival off the ground. Sadly, in February 1993 he suffered a
stroke and was unable to run the Festival any more. The
Festival has gone from strength to strength over recent years and is the
highlight of the year in Kimpton, raising thousands of pounds for local
causes. You
can watch a slideshow of past May Festivals here... ...and go to the May Festival's own website here.
You may be
interested in other annual events in Kimpton: The Kimpton
Horse Show (since 1944 with the photos to prove it) The Kimpton
Folk Festival (only since 2016, but growing every year)
The pupils of Kimpton Primary School
keep the old maypole dancing tradition
alive
The May Queen, as immortalised in the Millennium Tapestry Comments? Enquiries? More
information? |
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