England's Calendar of Events | May
Oxford May Day
Oxford, England
May 1, 2008
Centuries-old traditions are upheld for Oxford May Day by the population of this student town, who gather in their thousands to hear the choir of Magdalen college sing in the new May dawn from the top of their chapel tower.
The night of 30 April starts with parties throughout the town, the best being a huge outdoor affair at Port Meadow (please confirm that this is happening before you make travel plans for it), a field that has been common land since medieval times. Although most forsake the meadow for Magdalen Bridge during the early hours of the morning, should you stick around till sunrise, Morris Dancers appear complete with trademark bells round their ankles to dance in the new day.
Large crowds gather at the Magdalen Bridge from about 5am - it's a good idea to get there early for a spot. Foolhardy students have been known to attempt spectacular jumps into the rushing river, but as the Cherwell is only about six feet deep and the bridge quite high, a spate of injuries led to the closure of the bridge in 2006.
As the choir starts to sing the Medieval Eucharist hymn from the tower of Magdalen College, the raucous crowd goes quiet. No one knows when the tradition of May Day dawn singing began, but records go back to the 17th century, and it could stretch back further still. Whenever it started, the beauty of the ethereal voices of these little boys soaring out into sudden silence so early in the morning is very moving.
After the singing the crowd gradually disperses, many flocking to the breakfast picnics thrown in the college gardens, impromptu cricket matches, and the many pubs that open especially early by special dispensation to sustain the flagging revellers.
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Spalding Flower Festival
Springfields, Spalding, England
May 3, 2008
Established in 1959, the Spalding Flower Festival attracts around 250,000 visitors every year. The parade features over a dozen flower floats, each covered in thousands of tulip heads, accompanied by marching bands, vintage bicycles and many other colourful characters.
The floral floats are also on static display at the festival site within the 25-acre landscaped Springfields Gardens from the morning of the parade, before leaving for their colourful journey around the town in the afternoon. Visitors can also witness the floats being carefully adorned with the thousands of blooms.
This year is the event's 50th anniversary and the theme is appropriately, "Thanks for all the memories."
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South of England Fireworks Championship
Battersea Park, London, England
May 10, 2008
London's Battersea Park hosts one of the five qualifying heats for the British Fireworks Championships. Three leading firework companies compete for the title of South of England Firework Champions and a place at the national finals in August.
As night falls, each of the three companies (Pyro 1, Skyburst the Firework Company and Imperial Fireworks) have ten minutes to produce an unforgettable display of colour and light.
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