SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

This year see Barwick in Elmet hosting its trienniel maypole raising.This year it will be on Spring bank Holiday monday 26th may at 11am.The man climbing up it without ropes etc to "spin the fox" will not happen until around 4pm though.Stalls,maypole dancing etc wil happen on the castle mount field.I plan to attend the raising, you can catch a bus from Infirmary Street. I missed the last one in 2005 but attended the last two proper old fashioned ones where they used just ropes and ladders to get it in place.The old way was much more interesting as it they got it wrong it fell through the roof of either of two pubs!

Steve Jones wrote: This year see Barwick in Elmet hosting its trienniel maypole raising.This year it will be on Spring bank Holiday monday 26th may at 11am.The man climbing up it without ropes etc to "spin the fox" will not happen until around 4pm though.Stalls,maypole dancing etc wil happen on the castle mount field.I plan to attend the raising, you can catch a bus from Infirmary Street. I missed the last one in 2005 but attended the last two proper old fashioned ones where they used just ropes and ladders to get it in place.The old way was much more interesting as it they got it wrong it fell through the roof of either of two pubs! The inevitible H & S and even worse, the cost of insurance for the event put paid to the real methodology Steve - unfortuanately it seems there are more and more people who will sue if one of the ribbons falls past their ear!

We went to the last one in 2005 and it wasn't the same as the 'old' way - will still take the kids on Monday though.

Some film from 1999 here. The last time they could do it 'properly' lol.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBdg3kbV ... re=related

I had an excellent day out at the maypole raising.I didn't stop for the "spinning the fox"bit, so I hope he succeeded in this wind.At one point in the raising the pole swung alarmingly in the sling of the crane ,and i thought they were going to lose the fox weathervane against the arm of the crane! it just missed it ,but got put onto position OK.I also bumped in my mate Davw wheldrake the archaeologist there and reminded him about the skulls!he promised to check the sites and monuments record for us.

The fox was spun successfully by Stephen Ward, despite the 'breeze' up there! - I think he deserves every penny of his collection!