71:
name is carved upon a rock on the hill behind this house. Then on May-day the Queen walks in procession under a canopy of flowers carried by four of the boys, her crown and sceptre being carried by two others; then come her maids of honour; and then all the other children of the school, most of them carrying flowers in garlands or on staves. The procession winds along through
Lustleigh and through Wreyland, halting at certain places to sing the customary songs, and at last ascends the hill behind here. The Queen is enthroned upon a rock looking down upon the May-pole: the crown of flowers is placed upon her head, and the arum-lily sceptre in her hand: the maids of honour do their homage, laying their bouquets at her feet; and the four-and-twenty dancers perform their dance before her. Then comes the serious business of the day—the children’s tea. This year, 1917, there was a shortage of cereals; but I saved the situation with two hundred hard-boiled eggs.
20:
133:
70:
There is a May-day festival here, for which I am responsible. There used to be dancing round the May-pole at the flower-show and other festivals, but none upon May-day itself; and I put an end to that anomaly. The children at
Lustleigh school—boys and girls—elect one of the girls as Queen, and her
102:
Part of the
Lustleigh celebration is the carving of the name of the May Queen on to a granite boulder in the field. The names of all the May Queens from 1905 to the second world war are carved on the rock at Long Tor, on the hill above
93:
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the in-person event had to be cancelled, and a virtual May Day was held. The May Queen was crowned in person along with the 2021 and 2022 queens during the 2022 event.
84:
The event was originally held on the second
Thursday, being during the week to allow the school children of the village school to take part. From at least the 1950s, the event was moved to a Saturday.
124:
The parade takes place with the May Queen leading the procession around the village underneath a canopy of flowers carried by other children, before returning to the May Day rock throne for crowning.
47:
The tradition of going "a-maying" is long held in the United
Kingdom, with the association of collecting fresh flowers to crown the "fairest maiden in the village", and dancing round the
110:
Following the post-war revival, the event moved to the Town
Orchard in the village centre, where a new rock was carved, and all May Queens from 1954 to present are engraved upon it.
66:. This corrected what Torr saw as an anomaly of the village children doing maypole dancing at the flower show and other village events, but not actually on May Day.
1332:
58:
of
Wreyland in 1905, with children parading through the village to Long Tor farm, on a hill above the village, for maypole dancing and traditional
1419:
39:
dancing, as well as the crowning of a May Queen from the eligible girls of the village. It is generally held on the first
Saturday of May.
1372:
1424:
113:
On top of the granite boulder in the orchard is a granite throne, carved to celebrate the millennium and bearing the 'MM' mark.
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The children who take part are from the village, or connected to it, and are aged between 5 and 15.
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The 1959 May Queen, Christine Moore, fell from the rock following her crowning.
1408:
1278:"19 Devon villages and towns so pretty you'll want to move there immediately"
90:
There is also a long tradition of morris dancing accompanying the event.
104:
76:
55:
32:
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36:
1228:
59:
1373:"Queen Aurelia crowned at this year's May Day festival"
16:
Annual celebration in
Lustleigh, Devon, United Kingdom
51:
is also a tradition linked to the coming of spring.
1406:
1107:The seasons:an elegy for the passing of the year
140:The May Queens since the revival in 1905 were:
23:Maypole in Lustleigh in Spider's Web pattern
1354:"Lustleigh May Spring Fair picture special"
54:The current version of this was revived by
31:is an annual celebration in the village of
116:
97:
1263:"Lustleigh, Dartmoor's Prettiest Village"
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18:
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1245:"Granite Boulder as May Queen's Throne"
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1193:"Lustleigh Queen in fall, but unhurt"
1103:
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35:, Devon. It involves the traditional
1420:Recurring events established in 1905
1296:"May Day marked in a number of ways"
1138:
1328:"May Day marked in variety of ways"
1044:Devon and Cornwall with your family
13:
1078:
14:
1476:
1276:Parkman, Chloe (23 August 2022).
1142:Small Talk at Wreyland. Volume I
1383:
1364:
1320:
1306:
1288:
1269:
1255:
1237:
1221:
1203:
1091:"Lustleigh May Day - A History"
1425:1905 establishments in England
1371:Heppell, Ethan (15 May 2023).
1352:Heppell, Ethan (15 May 2022).
1185:
1167:
1149:
1132:
1114:
1097:
1051:
1034:
79:, Small Talk at Wreyland Vol I
1:
1460:Festivals established in 1905
1145:. Cambridge University Press.
1027:
127:
7:
1211:"Rain did not depress them"
1126:Exeter and Plymouth Gazette
1058:Schofield, Bernard (1981).
10:
1481:
1005:Arabella Kennaird-Melling
42:
1314:"Around Lustleigh Cleave"
1199:. 11 May 1959. p. 8.
1465:Annual events in England
1093:. The Lustleigh Society.
117:Participants and format
98:May day rock and throne
1415:Spring (season) events
1230:Lustleigh May Day 2020
137:
107:'s house at Wreyland.
82:
24:
1041:Viccars, Sue (2008).
973:Maisie Roper Melland
136:May Queen Rock detail
135:
68:
22:
1377:Mid-Devon Advertiser
1358:Mid-Devon Advertiser
1333:Mid-Devon Advertiser
1300:Mid Devon Advertiser
1139:Torr, Cecil (1918).
1104:Groom, Nick (2013).
237:Guinevere Morecombe
221:Muriel Brimblecombe
1391:"Lustleigh May Day"
1175:"Lustleigh May Day"
629:Catherine Beaumont
541:Jacqueline Kennett
1430:Festivals in Devon
1265:. Britain Express.
1233:. Luminance Media.
725:Salley Ann Lilley
709:Sarah Jane Lilley
701:Debbie Goodfellow
613:Caroline Williams
138:
25:
1061:Events in Britain
1025:
1024:
1013:Aurelia Fanshawe
869:Chloe May Wright
733:Rebecca Merriott
621:Annette Stephens
573:Suzanna Beaumont
549:Patricia Johnson
453:Gillian Williams
357:Winifred Horrell
309:Josephine Wilson
173:Annie Menhennett
64:bowling for a pig
29:Lustleigh May Day
1472:
1450:Culture in Devon
1440:Fairs in England
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1181:. 25 April 1958.
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933:Abigail Pelling
845:Harriet Knowles
797:Rebecca Drewett
685:Jeanette Palmer
637:Debbie Seabrook
565:Vivienne Jenkin
493:Christine Moore
469:Patricia Powell
405:Veronica Yeoman
381:Winifred Olding
365:Brenda Osbourne
341:Kathleen Cooper
261:Gertrude Parker
245:Irene Crockford
189:Florrie Valance
157:Mabel Bunclarke
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1021:Bridie Gregson
957:Talia Sullivan
941:Harmony Bidder
917:Lauren Heather
901:Kirsty Heather
861:Annie Reddaway
813:Louise Baudouy
717:Carolyn Tapson
677:Rebecca French
661:Julie Osbourne
645:Heather Wright
557:Angela Woodger
533:Carola Woodger
517:Jennifer Perry
333:Phyllis Yeoman
301:Florrie Aggett
293:Phyllis Yeoman
269:Gladys Waldron
213:Dorothy Motton
130:
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1339:
1336:. 14 May 2006.
1319:
1305:
1302:. 14 May 2006.
1287:
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1236:
1220:
1215:Torbay Express
1202:
1197:Herald Express
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1064:. p. 40.
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62:games such as
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1251:. 5 May 1933.
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1249:Western Times
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1217:. 5 May 1969.
1216:
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1179:Torquay Times
1176:
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1163:. 9 May 1924.
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1161:Western Times
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1128:. 8 May 1914.
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1047:. p. 85.
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1435:Annual fairs
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997:Isla McCabe
981:Keevie Oaff
909:Bryony Bell
893:Alice James
821:Daisy Beare
741:Kim Hopwood
581:Jane Aggett
485:Helen Beard
445:No Ceremony
442:1941 - 1953
413:Eileen Dray
325:Dolly White
139:
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1395:Visit Devon
1157:"Lustleigh"
1122:"Lustleigh"
853:Lucy James
829:Emma Wills
805:Laura Dale
501:Iona Jones
461:Myra Brock
373:May Clarke
253:May Yeoman
229:Janie Lake
1445:May events
1409:Categories
1282:Devon Live
1071:0713712309
1028:References
965:Amy Jaggs
877:Anna Bell
693:Lisa Rowe
429:Edna Dray
277:Vera Hill
181:Amy Wyatt
128:May Queens
105:Cecil Torr
77:Cecil Torr
56:Cecil Torr
1316:. The AA.
33:Lustleigh
1455:Dartmoor
74:—
49:maypole
43:History
37:maypole
1068:
149:Queen
1018:2024
1010:2023
1002:2022
994:2021
986:2020
978:2019
970:2018
962:2017
954:2016
946:2015
938:2014
930:2013
922:2012
914:2011
906:2010
898:2009
890:2008
882:2007
874:2006
866:2005
858:2004
850:2003
842:2002
834:2001
826:2000
818:1999
810:1998
802:1997
794:1996
786:1995
778:1994
770:1993
762:1992
754:1991
746:1990
738:1989
730:1988
722:1987
714:1986
706:1985
698:1984
690:1983
682:1982
674:1981
666:1980
658:1979
650:1979
642:1978
634:1977
626:1976
618:1975
610:1974
602:1973
594:1972
586:1971
578:1970
570:1969
562:1968
554:1967
546:1966
538:1965
530:1964
522:1963
514:1962
506:1961
498:1960
490:1959
482:1958
474:1957
466:1956
458:1955
450:1954
434:1940
426:1939
418:1938
410:1937
402:1936
394:1935
386:1934
378:1933
370:1932
362:1931
354:1930
346:1929
338:1928
330:1927
322:1926
314:1925
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274:1920
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258:1918
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226:1914
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202:1911
194:1910
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146:Year
1066:ISBN
60:fete
27:The
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