After the excitement of International Art Deco Day last week, I suddenly realised how quickly April had passed by and that we were now into May. I was thinking about this yesterday, particularly about the Loughborough Lions carnival that used to be held on Southfields park - at least, I think it was the Lions. I must admit I didn't go every year, and in those days I certainly didn't take a camera around with me so I have no pictures to share.
Apparently, in 1998, they reckoned about 5,000 people went along to see a wide range of attractions and entertainment, some of the most popular being a mediaeval jousting tournament, a falconry display, a fancy dress parade and a drum band. Alongside the entertainment for the grown-ups was a funfair for children. Apparently, there was also a car boot sale! The event made about £4,000 and this was donated to charity. The Lions no longer hold a carnival on Southfields park, but I can't quite remember when they stopped.
As well as the Lions carnival, another event I think we probably see less of these days is traditional May Day celebrations with the crowning of a May Queen, dancing around a maypole and Morris dancing.
Back in 1915, the girls of the Church Gate school celebrated May Day, and parents were invited along to watch. The event started with a procession, headed by the outgoing May Queen who was followed by the forthcoming queen. During the crowning ceremony, songs were sung, and then the outgoing queen gave a speech. The headmistress then gave out medals and bouquets, before the new May Queen also gave a speech. and then led the procession around the school playground. The event finished with dancing, which included Maypole and Morris.
Some of the children who took part in this event included: Elsie Barker, Evelyn Coltman, Dorris Bostock (outgoing queen), Gladys Yallup, Lizzie Brooks, P. Smith, D. Brown, I. Russell, E. Hunt, Edna Chappell (new queen), Connie Musson, Lilian Painter, Agnes Limehouse, Lizzie Howard, Doris Mee, Clarice West, Edna Morris, Dolly Gray, Daisy Simpson, Eveline May Haslam, and Edith O. Slinger. Those taking part in the dancing included: Agnes Limehouse, Doris Smith, GladysTallutt, Enid Collinson, Connie Musson, Lilian Painter and Madge Sadler.
Of course, the other meaning of Mayday is that it's a word used as an international distress signal, although the well-known phrase is actually Mayday Mayday Mayday. It is used primarily by aviators and mariners, and signals a life-threatening emergency. One vessel which probably didn't need to use this distress signal was the RMS Aquitania, which was an ocean liner of the Cunard Line, and was operational between 1914 and 1950. During the Forst World War the ship operated as transport for troops, and as a hospital. Reverting to a passenger ship after the war, the ship was considered to be quite attractive and gained the nickname 'the Ship Beautiful'. When the ship was retired from service in 1949, it was the last four-funnelled ocean liner. The ship was scrapped in 1950. Y
You may be wondering why I'm mentioning all this? You may remember Clarence George Starkey, the first manager of our Odeon on Baxter Gate? Well, he was one of the 1.2 million people who travelled on the Aquitania, which sailed over 3 million miles and made 450 journeys. Starkey travelled from Southampton to New York in 1922, and spent the ensuing 10 years in the US before returning to Britain to become manager of the Regal cinema in Bradford.
Join me next time and see where our voyage takes us!
Posted by lynneaboutloughborough 2 May 2021
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