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Press
coverage
Didn't
we have a lovely day...
The Jug Men's first
public performance was voted a great success on Sunday (7 December) as
a massive crowd turned out for the event. Eagle-eyed cameraman Harry
Foster capture the images below.
The
Jug Men were (pictured below left to right, from the front) Gordon, Penny,
Drew, Kate, Sharon, Jez, Keith, Chrissie and Mike
Unfortunately,
as everyone recovers we're still waiting more photographs! Watch this
space...
Jug
Men skip for a white Christmas!
Practice pictures
below
Regulars at a Derbyshire village
pub are to skip for a charitable cause – praying that it will bring
a white Christmas!
Locals at The
Jug and Glass Inn in Lea, near Matlock are convinced that the pagan ritual
performed for the first time in history in December will have a similar
affect to when it is more traditionally danced in spring to ensure the
fertility of the year's crops.
Hacked off with
years of the lack of snow on Christmas Day, the villagers struck upon
the idea when new owners Jez and Sharon Hytch said they wanted to welcome
locals to their pub The Jug and Glass Inn in Lea, near Matlock, after
quitting teaching to take over the premises.
Having arranging
a brass band to lead carols around the Christmas tree, the resident folk
club to lead songs in the evening and laid on festive food, they then
were party to the bizarre idea that dancing a pagan ritual would ensure
it snowed!
Jez explained:
"When we rang up to book Morris dancers we were promptly told that
it was a no-go because it was out of season. I couldn't believe it! So
one of our locals, Gordon Thorpe, set the challenge to put The Jug's
own side together."
The first historial
reference to this art is back in 1448, but there are more sinister explanations.
Apparently it was used as a tactic to bring illness to near annoying
neighbours. Villagers showing the first sign of the bubonic plague were
dressed in colourful outlandish customers with bells strapped to their
legs and sent to rival hamlets to perform the ritual, with the key element
of waving around their handkerchiefs full of plague infested mucus!
But the villagers
have promised that there is nothing threatening about their motives,
and it is only to ensure a great traditional white Christmas in the Derbyshire
hills.
And just in case
there any question of 'passing off' or breaking the Trades Description
Act relating to Morris Dancers, the Lea and Holloway dancers have decided
to call themselves The Jug Men.
Sunday's (7 December)
activities will skip off at 3pm, with a second performance around an
hour later, then moving onto the carols around the Christmas tree and
folk night afterwards.
Money will be
raised throughtout the day and all proceeds are going to give a special
treat to the children of Lea Primary School.
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