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Leeds maypole challenge rises to the tall challenge
THE historic Barwick-in-Elmet maypole was not exactly glinting in the sunshine but its big day had arrived.
The Maypole Trust Committee had worked hard to finalise preparations for the Maypole Festival and yesterday saw all their labour reach fruition.
Pole painters Kath & Carl Whitfield could relax knowing their job was done and the fox weather vane, cleaned, re-greased and polished took pride of place on top of the maypole.
A new DVD was released for this year, ‘Ancient & Modern’ documents the triennial Barwick-in-Elmet maypole festival, and compares the old and new techniques for lowering and raising the village’s famous 86 foot pole.
Volunteers yesterday carried the huge pole to its home in The Cross.
The climax of the Maypole Festival was the climbing of the pole by Leeds man, 30 years old Chris Brown. Chris had the task of climbing the 86 foot pole – in front of the whole village – to mark the climax of the Maypole Festival yesterday.
A landscaper, he trained for five or six days a week for the challenge, losing a stone in weight in the process.
The traditional maypole raising technique made it necessary for a climber – usually a local farm lad – to ascend the pole to in order to detach the hoisting ropes. After this, he would attempt to continue to the very top of the pole to give the fox weather vane a customary spin – a superstition thought to bring good luck to the village.
Whilst the current method for raising the pole has changed, the Maypole Trust wished to maintain as much of the old tradition as possible.
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Weather for Leeds
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
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Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
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