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39th Straw Bear Festival

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© Licensed to London News Pictures. 13/01/2018. Whittlesey UK. The 39th Whittlesey Straw Bear Festival taking place this weekend. In times past when starvation bit deep the ploughmen of the area where drawn to towns like Whittlesey, They knocked on doors begging for food & disguised their shame by blackening their faces with soot. In Whittlesey it was the custom on the Tuesday following Plough Monday to dress one of the confraternity of the plough in straw and call him a Straw Bear. The bear was then taken around town to entertain the folk who on the previous day had subscribed to the rustics, a spread of beer, tobacco & beef. The bear was made to dance in front of houses & gifts of money, beer & food was expected.Photo credit: Andrew McCaren/LNP

Filename
LNP_STRAW_BEAR_AMC_08.JPG
Copyright
©2018 Under licence to London News Pictures +44 208 088 1155 press@londonnewspictures.co.uk
Image Size
3000x2000 / 1.2MB
londonnewspictures.co.uk
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© Licensed to London News Pictures. 13/01/2018. Whittlesey UK. The 39th Whittlesey Straw Bear Festival taking place this weekend. In times past when starvation bit deep the ploughmen of the area where drawn to towns like Whittlesey, They knocked on doors begging for food & disguised their shame by blackening their faces with soot. In Whittlesey it was the custom on the Tuesday following Plough Monday to dress one of the confraternity of the plough in straw and call him a Straw Bear. The bear was then taken around town to entertain the folk who on the previous day had subscribed to the rustics, a spread of beer, tobacco & beef. The bear was made to dance in front of houses & gifts of money, beer & food was expected.Photo credit: Andrew McCaren/LNP