Now is the Month of Maying

 

Happy May 1st! My dad was fond of quoting Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem 'The May Queen':

 

"Wake me early mother dear for I'm to be Queen o' the May!"

 

When I was young, and attending Thornbury Infants' School in Bradford, May Day was a big celebration. Someone was chosen as May Queen each year, along with attendants and pageboys. 

 

The top picture shows my Mum (centre), Joan Evans as she was then, aged about seven, as May Queen in about 1934. The picture below shows my sister, Janet Nolson (as she was then), again aged about seven in 1958, as one of the attendants. She is to the right of the Queen, carrying flowers and looking at the camera. I was about two at the time, and think that standing with my mother, watching my sister, is one of my earliest memories.

 

I was neither a queen or attendant, but one of the May Day dancers. I don't recall a maypole, but danced holding above our heads wooden hoops, trimmed with coloured crepe paper and flowers. We practised for weeks beforehand in the school hall. 

 

The other tradition, now sadly disappeared, was for all children to trim up their bike, or scooter, or doll's pram with crepe paper and wheel it up to the school playground for the May Day celebrations. I feel sad that these traditions seem to have disappeared in Bradford's schools.

 

There are many traditional May songs. Click here to listen to the King Singers' rendition of Thomas Morley's 'Now is the Month of Maying' (1595).

 

Writing prompts:

• Write about your earliest memory as a child. 
• Did you celebrate May Day when young? If so, write about what you remember. 
• What other school traditions can you recall and write about?
• Should May Day, dancing round the maypole and choosing a 'Queen of the May' be traditions that are still celebrated in schools? Write down your opinions.