England's Calendar of Events | May
Downton Cuckoo Fair
May 5, 2007
The annual Downton Cuckoo Fair has been running for over a quarter of a century and attracts up to 20,000 people to the tiny village for maypoles, morris dancing and traditional folk entertainment.
The event also features over 250 craft stalls and craft demonstrations, line dancing, street entertainment, music, the Downton Brass Band and plenty for the children, including Punch and Judy, clowns, a bouncy castle and roundabouts.
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Stan Games Guineas Festival
May 5-6, 2007
The Stan James Guineas Festival at Newmarket, the home of English racing, is a must for any race fan. Only Epsom can match its claim to stage two Classic races in the course of one meeting.
The 2000 Guineas, the first of the season's Triple Crown races, is the highlight of the meeting. Taking place on the Saturday the race, for three-year-olds, is surpassed in quality only by the Derby. Sunday sees the running of the 1000 Guineas, which competes with the Oaks as the best fillies-only race in the country.
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Weymouth Beach Kite Festival
May 5-7, 2007
Aerial fanatics assemble on Weymouth's beach for Britain's biggest kite festival.
On Saturday there are trade stands on the Esplanade, a funfair on the Pavilion Forecourt and a "casual" kite flying day for non-competitors or those wanting to get warmed up. Sunday and Monday is when the airborne excitement really gets going, with plenty of displays and stunts, as well as workshops for those needing a little assistance.
If your neck isn't hurting too much from looking skywards, it's worth hanging around for the night flying and firework display on the Sunday evening.
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St. Briavels Bread & Cheese Dole
May 2007 (tbd)
Each year on Whit Sunday the small village of St Briavels, in the Wye Valley, plays host to the Bread and Cheese Dole. This age old tradition sees crowds of medieval-costumed locals converge outside the local Saint Mary's Church in eager anticipation of catching dole pieces of bread and cheese that are thrown into the air from brimming baskets.
From the moment the first morsels are thrown a thrill of excitement ignites the crowd. Hands outstretched, every man, woman and child battles for his share of the bounty. There are no rules in this battle - women hoist restricting skirts and men pull out extraordinarily large hats to ensure they receive more than their fair share.
The Dole has not gone without its fair share of trouble in the past. As far back as 1816 the Gentleman's Magazine recorded that "most of the food was used as pellets; the pastor coming in for his share as he left the pulpit...". The event even had to relocate several times last century - drinking and outbreaks of fighting invariably the cause.
The origins of this unusual tradition date back to the time of Milo, Earl of Hereford, in the 12th century, although the first records are from Rudder's account, published in 1779. Dole claimers could be anyone who paid a penny to the Earl of Hereford (then Lord of the Forest of Dean) entitling them to gather wood from nearby Hucknoll's woods.
Although the tradition of being able to gather wood has disappeared, the Dole lives on. Revelers believe in the power of these edible morsels and preserve them for good luck (miners originally used them as charms to protect against accidents). Today some people choose to place them in matchboxes and rest them under their pillow to inspire dreams of the future.
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