Crowds gathered for the annual Wellow Maypole celebrations

Crowds gathered to see the May Queen crowned and the maypole dancing as well as the many other attractions.

After the children’s procession from St Swithin’s church, this year’s May Queen Evie Hollingworth was crowned by retiring May Queen Charlotte Baugh.

Evie has danced around the maypole each year since she was three-years-old, following in the footsteps of her sister Lucy, who was May Queen in 2019.

Evie’s Maids of Honour were sisters Gaby and Lotte Cooper, also with many years of maypole dancing between them.

The intricate maypole dances were performed by local children as young as three-years-old, and were followed by children from the audience ‘having a go’ all under the watchful eye of dancing teacher Sylvia Rose, herself May Queen in 1972.

Apart from the traditional highlights, live music was provided by local singer songwriter Ollie Hayes. He performed his own song ‘Maypole Days’ written about his family memories of Wellow Maypole Days, having danced around the maypole himself as a boy. Both he and his father were buglers for the procession in their time.

In a first for Wellow Maypole Celebrations, the crowds were treated to a performance by the Extreme Mountain Biking Show with their stunts and jumps. Other entertainment on the day included Ollerton Town Drum Corps, Rattlejag Morris dancers and traditional Punch and Judy.

The day concluded with the Maypole Raffle draw of prizes, all part of the fundraising effort to hold Wellow Maypole Celebrations each year.