Overview

Offering a fascinating celebration of Britain’s living heritage, TRADITIONS OBSERVED, by Anna Hallett is an engaging journey through more than 70 of Britain’s most ancient and enduring local customs and ceremonies.  In a richly detailed travelogue, the book explores the rituals, both famous and obscure, that continue to be celebrated across the UK today. From well-known events, such as well dressing, mummers, wassailing and pancake races to lesser known traditions such as Straw Bears, ‘Mock Mayors’ and the spectacle of Bun Throwing, together with a number of charitable events and civic ceremonies, plus a good smattering of both real horses and hobby horses included, the book captures the remarkable variety of customs that have survived into the twenty-first century. Different communities and associations have always had their own unique customs which have been passed down and preserved over the years. These are often rooted in the occupations and businesses of the local inhabitants or society members. Others are such as pancake races, Maypole dancing, wassailing and mummers are more universal and are celebrated throughout the year in multiple locations, albeit quite often with local interpretations. Not all events happen annually so waiting for the right year to come around to participate can sometimes take a while. In one particular case, it can be up to 21 years between the Chedozy Candle Auctions in Somerset! And the COVID pandemic has caused some disarray to the calendar in recent years. Describing some of the events that she witnessed and took part in, Anna said: ‘I’ve met straw bears, mock mayors, a warrener, a wren bearer and a Jack-in-the-Green.  I shook hands with a boy bishop, played the part of High Constable, acquired a hobby horse named Biscuit made by Stephen Rowley, a Cotswold artist and mummer, and only narrowly avoided falling into the Thames while trying to keep up with swan-upping Vintners. ‘Injudicious action (on my part) during a game of bottle-kicking in Hallaton, Leicestershire, could have led to serious injury.  I have been pelted with raid-sodden buns and presented with a wassail bowl on one occasion and a carrier bag filled with flour on another.  In London, I witnessed the payment of ‘quit rents’ in the Royal Courts of Justice and the testing of new coins of the realm in the Trial of the Pyx in Goldsmiths’ Hall – both in the presences of the Queen’s Remembrancer.’ Anna Hallett is passionate about history, a love of which she has shared over the years with the students that she has taught at various educational institutions.  A combination of this, together with an interest in travel and a curiosity regarding exploring the unknown have contributed to the creation of this book.

Full Product Details

Author:   Anna Hallett
Publisher:   Country Books
Imprint:   Spiral Books
Dimensions:   Width: 15.60cm , Height: 1.50cm , Length: 23.40cm
Weight:   0.668kg
ISBN:  

9781068567063

ISBN 10:   1068567066
Pages:   300
Publication Date:   17 February 2026
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming
Availability:   In Print  
Limited stock is available. It will be ordered for you and shipped pending supplier's limited stock.

Table of Contents

EVENTS ATTENDED Autumn/Winter Souling: Comberbach, Cheshire 9 Mumming, general: Various 13 Pace Egging: Mossley, Greater Manchester 17 Haxey Hood: Haxey, North Lincolnshire 23 Straw Bears: Whittlesey and Ramsey, both Cambridgeshire 27 Plough Monday: Stoney Stanton, Leicestershire 31 Wassailing: Chepstow, Monmouthshire, combined with the Mari Lwyd appearance 35 Wassailing: Preston on Wye, Herefordshire 39 Wassail bowls: Museum of Gloucester and St Fagans museum in Cardiff 38 Spring/Easter Cradle Rocking: Blidworth, Nottinghamshire 47 Shrovetide Olney Pancake Race: Buckinghamshire 51 Lichfield Pancake Race: Staffordshire 55 Shrovetide Football: Ashbourne, Derbyshire, and Atherstone, Warwickshire 56 Britannia Coconut Dancers: Bacup, Lancashire 61 Hare Pie Scramble: Hallaton, Leicestershire 65 St George’s Court: Lichfield, Staffordshire 47 Woolsack Races: Tetbury, Gloucestershire 113 May Celebrations Maypole Dancing: Offenham, Worcestershire 71 Hobby Horse/The Hunting of the Earl of Rone: Combe Martin, Devon 76 Hobby Horse: Minehead, Somerset, and Padstow, Cornwall 81 Flora Day: Helston, Cornwall 92 Green Man Festival: Clun, Shropshire 88 Garland and Oak Apple Day: Castleton, Derbyshire 96 Grovely Rights and Oak Apple Day: Great Wishford, Wiltshire 108 Court of Arraye, Bower Service and Procession: Lichfield, Staffordshire 102 Summer/Autumn Well Dressing: Eyam, Derbyshire Peak District 116 Horn Dance: Abbots Bromley, Staffordshire 129 Rush bearing: Grasmere, Cumbria; Saddleworth and Sowerby Bridge, both Yorkshire 122 Boy Bishop: Hereford 142 Cutty Wren: Middleton, Suffolk 146 Paper Boys, a mumming play: Marshfield, Gloucestershire 20 Fire Up Helly Aa: Lerwick, Shetland 42 Tar Barrels: Ottery St Mary, Devon 113 The Burning of Old Bartle: West Witton, North Yorkshire 265 Bonfire Night: Lewes, East Sussex 137 Fenny Poppers: Fenny Stratford, Buckinghamshire 283 Civic Ceremonies Mayor Making: Lichfield, Staffordshire 153 Mayor Making and Penny Throwing: Rye, East Sussex 155 Mayor Weighing: High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire 157 Tutti Day: Hungerford, Berkshire 159 St Wilfrid’s Procession and Hornblower: Ripon, North Yorkshire 164 Ale Tasting and Bread Weighing: Ashburton, Devon 169 Charter Reading: Rothwell, Northamptonshire; Barnstaple, Devon 173 Charter Fair: Honiton and Kingsbridge, both Devon 285 Wroth Silver Ceremony: Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Warwickshire 280 The Sheriff’s Ride: Lichfield, Staffordshire 107 Mock Mayors Abingdon, Oxfordshire 177 Woodstock, Oxfordshire 180 Gloucester 184 Chester 189 London Trial of the Pyx 191 Quit Rents 195 Guilds, Livery Companies 202 Lord Mayor’s Show 203 Beating the Boundaries x2 215 Knollys Rose 219 Vintners’ Procession 209 Cart Marking 207 Swan Upping 213 Bun Day at the Widow’s Son pub 228 John Stow Commemoration 258 Covent Garden Rent Ceremony 211 Charities Dole Claiming: The Hospital of St Cross in Winchester, Hampshire 223 Butterworth Dole: London 225 Tichborne Dole: Hampshire 230 Church Street Supper: Kidderminster, Worcestershire 233 John Knill Ceremony: St Ives, Cornwall 237 Bread and Cheese Scramble and Whittington Purse Sermon: St Briavels, Gloucestershire 244 William Key Sermon, Barton-under-Needwood, Staffordshire 247 Candle and Footrace Auctions Candle Auction: Aldermaston, Berkshire; Tatworth, Somerset, Chedzoy, Somerset 249 Footrace Auction: Bourne, Lincolnshire; 249 Key Auction: Great Wishford, Wiltshire 257 Horse Fairs Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire 285 Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria 288 One-Offs Penny Hedge: Whitby (Yorkshire) 261 Dunmow Flitch: Great Dunmow, Essex 268 Bun Throwing: Abingdon, Oxfordshire 274 Dicing for Bibles: St Ives, Cambridgeshire 277 Dr Johnson’s Birthday Celebrations: Lichfield, Staffordshire 102

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Author Information

Anna Hallett is passionate about history, a love of which she has shared over the years with the students that she has taught at various educational institutions.  A combination of this, together with an interest in travel and a curiosity regarding exploring the unknown have contributed to the creation of this book. Anna is also the author of ‘Almshouses’ published by Shire Library.

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