Tuesday 3 April 2012

April Weather, Tutti Poles, Hocktide and another Blog Travel Competition


So, cast your mind back to Spring 2008.,,, The folk of Hungerford, Berkshire, had just had their annual Hocktide celebration. This is a very old custom, featuring Tutti Poles (a bit like mini maypoles) which are carried around the various shops and homes that own what are called Commoners' Rights in the town (it's a bit complicated , trust me).

Hungerford and in fact the whole of West Berks has no tourist industry to speak of, so you probably won't find this celebration marked in any of the Visit England brochures. It's really not intended for tourists at all, but for the locals. Which is nice.

It's not entirely clear what it is all supposed to mean, but that is the point of many old customs, I think. However, it seems to be based on an ancient fertility ritual, involving kissing young ladies and handing out oranges, (Below is a young maid from the local school, gone into a house to hand out oranges)



There is also some climbing into bedroom windows, apparently, drinking quite a bit of alcohol, etc. To be honest I have never followed it closely but it has been going on in Hungerford for a very long time. When my family first moved there I seem to remember it was a matter of the coal man dressed up in his aged top hat and ancient frock-coat, followed by a few other people carrying around a ladder to get into the bedroom windows, but ... well, it seems a bit posher now. Anyhow, here they are in one of the many excellent antique shops in the town, partaking of some refreshment.

The local lawyers' office was among the many local businesses that enter into the spirit of it all. It has cross-ribboned its door posts rather beautifully in yellow and blue

The town is pretty good on window decorations, and many of the shops put up a display of blue and yellow ribbons, tutti poles or oranges, and also, I noticed, hats.


And it was a nice sunny day for preparing a hog roast for later


And so Spring seemed to have arrived, as usual...

When suddenly.....


The people of Hungerford woke up and found everything covered in snow.


Covering the winter flowers....


And the new leaves...



It was too late to have the Tutti celebrations all over again of course :)

But it soon thawed - within hours - and then it was Spring again, with blue skies and snow turning to harmless slush. And Spring came as usual.

Hocktide isn't till 17 April this year, so if you happen to be in West Berkshire, go along and have a look. It ambles on all day but livens up a bit in the evening when they get the fairground organ out.

I thought of this when I was cycling in Suffolk (where we have been for a few days since I couldn't go to Greece). Fantastic weather, almost like June. And now we hear that snow is coming down from Scotland, five inches of it up there and heading our way. None of the Spring flowers at Hungerford were damaged by the unseasonal snow in 2008 but I'm a bit concerned about the magnolias, which came out early this year because of the unseasonally wonderful weather.

So beautiful but rather fragile. Fingers crossed.

I will get round to everyone's blogs now that I am back with a proper internet connection and access to a real computer. I couldn't post properly there, so I have added a few more pictures to the Granada photos (below and here, if you are interested)

I've also been reading Amanda's travel blog here and she's posted a contest for travel bloggers or indeed anyone with a blog. You have to choose a destination and you get a month of free accommodation in the city of your choice. You have to give five good reasons why you want to go to the particular city.

I don't have a month to spare to go to any of the cities, so I won't be entering the contest, but it looks like a fun opportunity for someone.

And talking of fun opportunities, several bloggers contacted me about the Greece blogging opportunity I posted about here. I passed these on to Sue, the PR, and she's going to be meeting with some of them during an upcoming trip to Greece. In fact, she might be there now. If you are one of them, please let me know what happened and if you got any work out of it.

I am glad to say that the hospital tests which prevented me from going to Greece have all been clear, which I am glad about!



52 comments:

  1. I love reading about quirky local festivals. I just wish I could attend them all! :)

    That is mind-boggling see-sawing weather, and you say there's more to come?

    PS: That photo of the cathedral in the snow looks like a postcard. Beautiful!

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  2. Hello Jenny:
    Long, long ago we had occasion to be renting a flat on The Croft in Hungerford [so your picture of the church is very familiar] and although we cannot recall the Hocktide celebration, we do remember times spent in the somewhat doubtful Tutti Pole café which was situated towards the bottom of the High Street at the side of the bridge and close to the canal.

    We are so pleased to know that you have positive news from the hospital tests.

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  3. Very interesting local festival, sounds like fun!
    I'm out of touch with many blogs, having been very busy, so will have to read back to find out about your travels. Not a hope of a month in a city either, :(

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  4. ps Hungerford is a beautiful looking city!

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  5. No matter how hard you plan, making sure all things are taken care of and everything is in place, Mother Nature can always throw a wrench in it. It looks like a fun event.

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  6. Hocktide sounds like one of those things invented by Kenneth Horne (remember Round The Horne). Only the British could make a tourist traditions of old chaps climbing up ladders into bedrooms! A lovely tale and photos to match. And I'm so glad the tests were OK

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  7. It's rare and wonderful to discover a celebration that isn't intended for tourists! Fascinating information and lovely photos.

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  8. Fun to read about the funny traditions, great pics too. I think oranges were a special treat in times gone by. Glad to know whatever sent you to the hospital for tests has been ruled out.

    Darla

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  9. Glad to hear your tests are all good!!
    Love the pictures though wondering about the reason for oranges. And snow, I love snow in the winter but once the calendar says spring, I'm done with it.

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    1. I'm having probs leaving a comment so I will just try and leave one under Mamma. She won't mind!
      I'm so glad that you found me and I LOVE your blog. It is so interesting and makes me want to travel.

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  10. Traditional celebrations intended for local participation are usually the most fun. It is good news about your test results, also thankyou Jenny for your recent comment on Travel Tales. The hotel was the perfect place for a warming lunch on a bitterly cold day. By the way I have added you to my blog roll on Travel Tales.

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  11. Although I live miles away from Hungerford I have vague memories of chimney sweeps wearing top hats. I wonder what that was all in aid of. An hour ago there was hail in the Midlands and then the sun came out again. I hope the dodgy weather passes over us although my bones are indicating otherwise. Pleased to hear the test were good.

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  12. Interesting. Jenny was brought up in Maidenhead but she's never mentioned the Hocktide festivities in Hungerford. Neither have her mum, sister or brother, all of whom live in Berkshire! It must be a very local affair. Tutti poles, oranges and climbing into bedroom windows - very mysterious. I hope no comely maiden is mightily disturbed in the course of her nightly ablutions....

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  13. Spring in Hungerford, looks a bit like spring here - one never knows what it will be! Thanks for the info about the festival:)

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  14. Glad to hear the tests came out well :-) I love the sound of Hocktide - what fun x

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  15. Very interesting, and I loved the Granada post below. I would love to go there. I am glad you are ok.
    The lichen is real!

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  16. This is a fascinating bit of Hungerford history and tradition!

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  17. Does there ever have to be a reason to celebrate, to drink a lot, to make merry, to climb into bedrooms, etc.?

    The old customs are the new customs.

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  18. I'm so glad that you're back and that your tests are clear. I don't know what that means but I'm betting it's a good thing.

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  19. I just love your photography! Do you have a special kind of camera? Oh - and I'm so glad the tests were clear. What a relief.

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  20. very cool on the celebration...def would not mind getting a piece of that hog...yum...and i am down for any reason to celebrate...smiles....glad you have a better connection now too...

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  21. This festival sounds like fun! Spring has been fickle here in California, too--blue skies one week and heavy rain and snow the next. My daffodils looked a bit sad afterward, but I see some new blooms coming. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I hope you will be able to go to Greece sometime soon.

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  22. I rather lie that some customs go on as they should for the people or town that it means something to.

    I wondered if the beautiful spring photos were leading up to a sudden winters morning. Spring can and has a few tricks to surprise us with.

    Good news about the tests !
    cheers, parsnip

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  23. love the pic of the snow covered narrowboat!

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  24. Surely some of the old customs are the very best!
    This is a wonderful series of images Jenny!
    Sending you wishes for a beautiful day!

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  25. Very good to know you've got the all clear after your hospital tests!
    And wonderful pictures, as always. Yellow and blue are my favourite colours, so I'd feel very much at home in a house with its door posts cross-ribboned like that.

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  26. No special camera, Frances, just a point and shoot but quite a useful ones with features to stop camera shake, etc. (handy when taking pics in low light). Lance and Jane, you will have seen the church pretty well every day if you were in the Croft, then. The Tutti Pole has (I am told) improved a lot and does a good trade. It has some competition now, which it didn't used to have, which might help, and it's now the only old fashioned tea shop in town. Since my mum still lives there, I NEVER have cause to go in there, of course. Nick, I have an idea that the original idea might have been something to do with disturbing comely maidens, but who am I to know?
    I love the idea that people have just carried on and on doing this for years without actually knowing why. I imagine them back in 1952, saying, "Oh, well, time to brush down the top hat and get a bag of oranges, and check the ladder's okay - it's THAT time of year again."

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  27. Jenny - I notice that you've included me on your sidebar. Thank you for the honor! As is my wont, I will reciprocate.

    I wish I had a month to spare. What a fantastic contest she is having!

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  28. Ever so glad to hear the tests were clear. Take care.

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  29. First of all, I am so glad you are okay and the tests were clear. I didn't realize or missed that you were having tests done and it caught my breath! Love the local festivals. Seems like every small town in the upper midwest here has their own celebration each year. I hope the snow doesn't harm anything if it comes this year again after the blooming. Been strange weather. Love the yellow and blue decorations and the old hats and oranges. Festive, even if they don't remember the wheres and whyfores. ;)

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  30. Glad to hear that the hospital test are all clear!!!
    Sorry about our snow headed your way and all....maybe time to start a new indoorsy festival... it could feature mulled wine, and pies, and snowmen... and oh yeah..I suppose that has been done already....

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  31. Oh to live in England, now that spring is here.
    I am happy for you about your test results.

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  32. local festivals are important.
    Here there is a walk up Twmbarlwm every Good Friday.

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  33. I'm pretty sure it was broadcast on ITV or Channel 4... each episode introduced 2 or 3 people who each bought a house at an auction, then went on to renovate it and finally, resell it at a higher price.
    I believe it's much more put new things into existing structures, like that shower you mentioned, rather than building your house exactly the way you want it to be.

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  34. I was head Chef at Thompson's Eating House in Hungerford, many years ago. I remember this festival well, oh and the pub on the village green. It is a lovely part of the world.

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  35. A wonderful thing, this local custom, it looks like such fun.

    Glad for the good health report.

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  36. It was fun to read about this local festival! I poles are beautiful covered with flowers. (Glad to hear your tests turned out well)

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  37. Well, I am not so sure about climbing in (or out of) bedroom windows, but I do like those Tutti Poles! I am thinking of making my very own Tutti pole and wander around with it, perhaps while taking the dog out for a walk, and if anybody should look at me, I'll just say: Hey man, don't you know what a Tutti pole is? and shake my head in a exasperated manner.
    PS Thanks for visiting my blog. Should my sculpture attain any measure of success, I am thinking of making a whole family of them.

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  38. Love those old, quirky festivals!

    While I love the pictures of the snow-covered landscape, I always thought a return to winter after having been teased by beautiful spring weather was like a slap in the face by Mother Nature.

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  39. It's interesting how similar different cultures can actually be. Over at this side of the pond, we have maidens throwing oranges in the hope of a suitor too. And yeah, there's bedroom climbing involved too. xD

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  40. Pleased to hear too your tests were clear.

    What a beautiful Magnolia tree in that photo. And that picture of a church - like a Christmas card x

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  41. An old haunt of mine, Hungerford. Nice to came across it again - and so beautifully and charmingly presented. Thanks a lot.

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  42. Super photos as always! Excellent!

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  43. well as they say.....we didn't come here for the weather!!!

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  44. My horrible internet connection took a long time to load your lovely blog, but oh so worth it, what fabulous photos. And thank you for visiting me.
    XO
    WWW

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  45. Oh everything looks so pretty all dressed up! I can't believe the weather after last week, ridiculous isn't it?

    Glad to hear your tests results were OK.

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  46. Well glad to know you are ok. Typical English weather is it. Spring one minute, snow the next and Spring again.:)
    www.thoughtsofpaps.com

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  47. What a great load of comments, thanks to everyone. I'm sorry if my page takes a long time to load, Wisewebwoman (great name). I may reduce the size of the pictures if enough people find it a problem. I've tried to avoid having widgets and gadgets that I know can be hard to load. I found that switching from Internet Explorer to Google Chrome greatly speeded up page loading, I don't know if that might help?

    Fascinating that three people so far have commented they actually used to live in or go to Hungerford, it always seems like a place that goes quietly about its own business. Like I said it doesn't have a tourist industry, even though it is intersting and ttractive and in lovely countryside, and usually people I mention it to never seem to have heard of it! You'd be hard pressed to find a holiday cottage to rent round there for instance.

    Anairam, I think you should give some of your sculptures tutti poles, they're very decorative - the sculptures would sell really well in Hungerford, too ! :D

    Dominic, I don't think I ever saw this programme which is strange because usually I like them. Mind you I don't watch much television, for some reason, at least not at present.

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  48. When I was a toddler, my Dad left Borneo to study in England. He didn't like London, but he often talked about how beautiful Lake District is.

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  49. I just love the name Hungerford, not to be confused with Hunger Games which I do not enjoy. One of my friends from Washington state moved to London about two years ago, and I have gained a few more blog friends in that time as well.

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  50. Oh, I forgot to mention my daffodils after seeing your flower snow photo, or "yoflosnoto" (hahaha - I obviously need coffee, it is early morning here and I am 'demanding' breakfast while the wife is 'demanding' coffee, but neither one of us has gotten vertical just yet, but soon.) So I went to the flowerbed where my few daffodils are located on the south side of the property, but the lawn care gentleman that my wife hired to do the lawn work had chopped them down! I always forget to plant more of them in the autumn.

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  51. Those poor little pansies. I got the shivers just looking at them

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