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This list was extracted from Brian’s book, Traditional Customs of Britain, Webb & Bower, 1985, some of the events may no longer happen and dates may change for various reasons, some will not happen on Sundays for instance so you must check before quoting (or attending!) anything in this list. Not all are open to the public and some may require tickets or prior arrangement. It is reproduced here for your convenience. We do not have pictures of all these events, those we do are linked to, follow the link and what we have on the subject will open in a new window.

View list in
county order.

This month.

JANUARY
1st	Kirkwall, Orkney Islands. The Ba’, a street football game also played on Christmas Day
1st	Bideford, Devon. Andrew’s Dole
1st	Oxford. Needle and Thread distribution at Queen’s College
1st	Castlemorton, Worcestershire, 6 miles south of Malvern. Winsbury Dole
1st	Queensferry, Lothian. The Loony Dook, New Year’s day swim
First Monday in month	Hubberholme, North Yorkshire. Hubberholme Parliament, a candle auction in the George Inn for mowing rights on church land
6th	Haxey, South Yorkshire, 10 miles east of Doncaster. Haxey Hood Game, one of the great ‘football’ games of Britain
6th	Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London. Cutting the Baddeley Cake by the cast of the current show
Saturday after 6th	Goathland, North Yorkshire, 7 miles SW of Whitby. The Plough Stots, longsword dancing
Sunday after 6th	Many places. Blessing the Plough
Second weekend in month	Whittlesey, CambridgeshireNorfolk. Whittlesea Straw Bear (yes, it does seem to be spelled differently!)
11th	Burghead, Grampian, 7 miles NW of Elgin. Burning the Clavie, a unique fire custom
17th	Carhampton, Somerset, 3 miles SW of Minehead. Wassailing the Apple Trees behind the Butchers Arms
New Moon after 20th (approximately)	Chinese New Year
Last Tuesday	Lerwick, Shetland Islands. Up-Helly-Aa, a spectacular ‘Viking’ festival involving over 900 guizers carrying flaming torches
29th or near	Guildford, Surrey. Dicing for the Maid’s Money; maidservants throw dice for annual bequest
FEBRUARY
2nd	Wotton, Surrey, 2 miles west of Dorking. Forty Shilling Day, a bequest paid to boys who can recite certain texts. (Intermittent)
2nd	Woodbridge, Suffolk. Carlow’s Charity
Monday of Candlemas week (2nd)	St Ives, Cornwall. Hurling the Silver Ball
Sunday nearest 2nd	Blidworth, Nottinghamshire, 4 miles SW of Mansfield. Cradle Rocking in parish church
First Sunday in month	Dalston, NE London. Clowns’ Service in Holy Trinity Church
3rd	Holborn, London. Blessing the Throats, in St Etheldreda’s Church, Ely Place
14th	King’s Lynn, Norfolk. ‘The Mart’ in Tuesday Marketplace is the first big fair of the year
14th	Norham, Northumberland, 7 miles SW of Berwick-upon-Tweed. Blessing the Salmon Nets on Pedwell Beach fifteen minutes before midnight when the season opens
20th or near	Aldgate, London. Sir John Cass Service which schoolgirls attend wearing red quills in their hats
SHROVETIDE
Shrove Tuesday	Olney, Buckinghamshire. Pancake Race. There are many of these but this is easily the most famous
Shrove Tuesday	St Paul’s Cathedral, London. Cakes and Ale Sermon
Shrove Tuesday	Westminster School, London. Pancake Greaze
Shrove Tuesday	Scarborough, North Yorkshire. Skipping by hundreds of people on the seafront
Shrove Tuesday	Corfe Castle, Dorset. Annual Meeting of the Ancient Order of Purbeck Marblers and Stonecutters
Shrove Tuesday	Alnwick, Northumberland. Shrovetide Football
Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday	Ashbourne, Derbys. Royal Shrovetide Football. The same on both days
Shrove Tuesday	Atherstone, Warwick. Shrovetide Football limited to two hours in the afternoon; the winner is the man with the ball at the end
Shrove Tuesday	Sedgefield, Durham. Shrovetide Football
Shrove Tuesday and the second Saturday following	St Columb Major, Cornwall. Hurling the Silver Ball, between Town and Countrymen. The same on both days
Thursday following ‘Fastern E’en’	Jedburgh, Borders. Jethart Ba’, a hurling type street football. The date has altered recently but is usually the day after Ash Wednesday. It is advisable to check!
Mid Lent	Ufton Nervet, Berkshire, 2 miles south of Theale. Dame Elizabeth Marvyn Charity at Ufton Court
MARCH
1st	Lanark, South Lanarkshire. ‘Whuppity Scoorie’ is a mad race for kids around the church
5th	Perranporth, Truro and elsewhere in Cornwall. St Piran’s Day. Processions and festivities to mark the patron saint of Cornish miners
14th	Goldsmiths Hall, London. The Pyx Trial at which coins from the Royal Mint are tested with ceremony
Third Thursday in month	Near South Dalton, 3 miles east of Market Weighton, East Riding of Yorkshire. Kiplingcotes Derby, Britain’s oldest flat race
25th	Tichborne, Hampshire. Tichborne Dole
During the month	Old Bolingbroke, Lincolnshire. Candle Auction for parish land held during Parish Council AGM
During the month	Stockbridge, Hampshire. Court Leet and Court Baron
APRIL
5th or near	St Andrew Undershaft, London. Sir John Stow’s Quill Pen, part of his memorial, is replaced with elaborate ceremony
23rd	Lichfield, Staffordshire. St George’s Court, though of ancient origin, is now a very amusing ceremony
Thursday nearest 25th	Morpeth, Northumberland. Boundary Riding
Last Sunday in the month	London. Tyburn Walk from the Old Bailey to Marble Arch commemorates Catholic martyrs who died on Tyburn Gallows
During April	Wirksworth, Derbyshire. Barmoot Court oversees lead mining affairs (also in October)
EASTER
Palm Sunday, the one before Easter	Hentland, Hoarwithy, King’s Caple and Sellack, four parishes between Hereford and Ross-on-Wye. Distribution of Pax Cakes after services
Maundy Thursday	Different cathedral each year. The Royal Maundy
Maundy Thursday	Leigh, Greater Manchester. Henry Travice Charity, a more modest affair!
Easter weekend	Barrow-in-Furnace, Cumbria. In many places it is customary to decorate graves with flowers. In the past it would have been done on Plam Sunday, but Easter is more common now
Good Friday	Tinsley Green, West Sussex, on the north side of Crawley. British Marbles Championship at the Greyhound
Good Friday	Alciston, East Sussex, 6 miles SE of Lewes. Good Friday Skipping
Good Friday	Calder Valley, West Yorkshire, at several places between Luddenden and Todmorden. Pace Egg Play performed by boys from Calder High School, Mytholmroyd
Good Friday	Liverpool Docks area. Burning Judas in the early morning. May not happen but worth looking for
Good Friday, Easter Tuesday and the following Saturday	Workington, Cumbria. ‘Uppies and Doonies’, classic street football, in the evenings, the same each evening
Good Friday	Smithfield, London. Butterworth Charity distributed at St Bartholomew the Great
Good Friday	Ideford, Devon, 4 miles north of Newton Abbot. Borrington Dole
Good Friday	Bromley-by-Bow, E London. The Widow’s Bun is added to the collection at the Widow’s Son, Devons Road
Easter Saturday	Brighouse, West Yorkshire. Pace Egg Play
Easter Saturday	Market Harborough, Leicestershire. Hymn Singing over the grave of William Hubbard in St Mary’s in Arden churchyard
Easter Saturday	Bacup, Lancashire. Britannia Coconut Dancers
Easter Sunday	Radley, Oxfordshire. Church Clipping
Easter Monday	London. Harness Horse Parade, currently in Battersea Park
Easter Monday	Preston, Lancashire. Egg Rolling in Avenham Park
Easter Monday	Dunstable Downs, Bedfordshire. Orange Rolling
Easter Monday	Biddenden, Kent. Chulkhurst Charity
Easter Monday	Hallaton, Leicestershire, 12 miles east of Leicester. Hare Pie Scramble and Bottle Kicking. Fierce contest between Hallaton and Medbourne
Easter Monday	Bourne, Lincolnshire. Running Auction in which bids are made for land while a boy runs a set distance
Easter Monday every third year	Barwick-in-Elmet, West Yorkshire, 5 miles west of Leeds. Lowering the Maypole for ritual repairs. It is raised again on Spring Bank Holiday
Tuesday after Easter	Bristol. Tuppeny Starvers distributed after service at St Michael’s
Wednesday after Easter	Keevil, Wiltshire, 4 miles east of Trowbridge. Tayler Charity
Thursday after Easter	Ratcliffe Culey, Leicestershire, a mile NE of Atherstone. Setting the Lanes at the Gate Inn is arranging grazing rights
Thursday after Easter	Reading, Berkshire. Maidservants’ Charity at St Mary’s Church House
Second Tuesday after Easter	Hungerford, Berkshire. Hocktide Ceremonies include the Court Leet, ‘Tuttimen’ and other events to do with Common Rights
MAY
1st	Oxford. May Morning Celebrations include Latin hymns from the top of Magdalen Tower, Morris Dancing and huge crowds at 6 am
1st	Padstow, Cornwall. The ‘Old Oss’ and the ‘Blue Ribbon Oss’ tour the town in one of the most fantastic customs in Britain
1st	Minehead, Somerset. The Hobby Horse here comes out also on the previous, and the following two evenings
1st	Gawthorpe, West Yorkshire, east of Dewesbury. Gawthorpe May Day
1st	Charlton-on-Otmoor 6 miles north of Oxford. Garland Ceremony
1st	Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland. Riding the Bounds
First Saturday in the month	Knutsford, Cheshire. Royal May Day, notable for its NW Morris Dancers and ‘sanding’
First Sunday in the month	Munlochy Bay, 7 miles north of Inverness, and Culloden, 4 miles to the east. Visiting ‘Clootie’ Wells in the early morning
May Day Holiday Monday	Ickwell Green, Bedfordshire, 6 miles east of Bedford. Ickwell May Day
May Day Holiday Monday	Rochester, Kent. Sweeps Festival
8th	Helston, Cornwall. The Furry Dance
9th	Covent Garden, London. Punch’s Birthday
Second week in the month	Etwall, Derby. Well Dressing. The first of the year; began in 1970
Second Saturday in the month	Hayes Common, Kent. May Festival
Mid-May, near Rogationtide	Chester. North-West Morris Dancing in the city centre by Manley Morris Dancers
13th	Abbotsbury, Dorset. Garland Day
Wednesday nearest 18th	Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, Northumberland. Annual Meeting of the Freeholders includes ‘dunting’ of new members
Nearest Sunday to 21st	Meriden, West Midlands. Cyclists Memorial Service
23rd	Rye, East Sussex. Mayoring Day, with throwing of hot pennies
Near the end of the month	Hastings, East Sussex. Blessing the Sea
29th, or soon after	Chelsea, London. Founder’s Day at the Royal Hospital, a colourful occasion but open only to relations of the Pensioners
29th or a Saturday soon after	Fownhope, Herefordshire, 5 miles SE of the city. Oak Apple Day, a Friendly Society walk
29th	Worcester. Oak Apple Day; the City Hall gates are decorated with oak branches
29th	Aston on Clun, Shropshire, 8 miles NW of Ludlow. Arbor Day; a tree in the village is dressed with flags
29th	Castleton, Derbyshire. Garland Day
29th	Great Wishford, Wiltshire, 5 miles NW of Salisbury. Grovely Day perpetuates rights to collect wood from the forest
Late in the month	High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Weighing the Mayor on taking office
End of the month	Endon, Staffordshire, 4 miles SW of Leek. Well Dressing one of the few outside Derbyshire
Spring Bank Holiday	Wirksworth, Derbyshire. Well Dressing, contest with 9 wells produces high standard
Spring Bank Holiday every third year	Barwick-in-Elmet, West Yorkshire. Raising the Maypole
Spring Bank Holiday	Bampton, Oxfordshire. Morris Dancing; outstanding
Spring Bank Holiday	Headington Quarry, on the east side of Oxford, Oxfordshire. Morris Dancing in the evening
Spring Bank Holiday	Coopers Hill, near Brockworth, 4 miles east of Gloucester. Cheese Rolling in evening, one of Britain’s maddest customs
Spring Bank Holiday	Bellerby, North Yorkshire, 6 miles south of Richmond. Bellerby Feast
Spring Bank Holiday	Wellow, Nottinghamshire, 10 miles NW of Newark-on-Trent. Maypole Dancing
Spring Bank Holiday	Lichfield, Staffordshire. Court of Arraye and Greenhill Bower
Spring Bank Holiday	Manchester. Whit Walks
Spring Bank Holiday	Kingsteignton, Devon. Ram Roasting Fair
Spring Bank Holiday every third year	Laugharne, Carmarthenshire. Common Walk
Spring Bank Holiday	Corby, Northamptonshire. Pole Fair; a great occasion but only every twentieth year
Wednesday after Bank Holiday	Pinner, NW London. One of the great street fairs
Saturday after Bank Holiday	Chipping Camden, Gloucestershire. Scuttlebrooke Wake
ASCENSIONTIDE
Ascension Eve	Whitby, North Yorkshire. Planting the Penny Hedge, a unique ‘penance’
Ascension Day	Wicken, Northamptonshire, 2 miles SW of Stony Stratford. The Love Feast celebrates the joining of two parishes in 1587
Ascension Day	Tissington, Derbyshire, 4 miles north of Ashbourne. Well Dressing; the oldest and one of the nicest
Ascension Day	Bisley, Gloucestershire, 3 miles east of Stroud. Blessing the Well, and adorning it with garlands
Ascension Day	Lichfield, Staffordshire. Beating the Cathedral Bounds
Ascension Day	Oxford. Beating the Bounds of two parishes, St Mary’s and St Michael’s, takes the beaters through colleges, shops and inns
Ascension Day every third year	The Tower of London. Beating the Bounds of the Tower Liberty after Evensong
Whit Sunday	Bristol. Rush Sunday at St Mary Redcliffe is a very grand service attended by the Lord Mayor and Corporation
Whit Sunday	St Briavels, Gloucestershire, in the Forest of Dean. Bread and Cheese Throwing is said to perpetuate right to take wood from part of the Forest
Whit Monday	St Ives, Cambridgeshire. Dicing for Bibles, a strange little bequest
Whit Friday	Saddleworth, Greater Manchester. ‘Whit Friday’; in the morning Whit Walks to Uppermill, in the evening a fantastic series of brass band contests
JUNE
1st	Charlton St Peter, Wiltshire. The Duck Feast, nothing to do with ducks, but a feast to celebrate local 18th century cleric and scholar Stephen Duck
First week in month	West Linton, Borders, 14 miles south of Edinburgh. Common Riding and Whipman Play
First Thursday in month	Neston, Cheshire. Ladies Walking Day; a Friendly Society walk
8th	Thetford, Norfolk. Thomas Paine Day. Rather sparsely attended celebration by the Thomas Paine Society
Second week in month	Southwold, Suffolk. Trinity Fair
Second Wednesday in month	Appleby, Cumbria. Horse Fair is an ancient gypsy gathering
Friday after second Monday	Hawick, Borders. Common Riding is one of the biggest but no women allowed
Thursday between 6th and 12th	Lanark, Lanarkshire. Lanimer Day, ‘Lanimers’ is like Border Common Ridings
10th-11th	Arundel, West Sussex. Carpet of flowers in the cathedral to mark Corpus Christie
Middle of the month	Exeter, Devon. Lammas Fair
A Saturday in mid-June every Leap Year	Great Dunmow, Essex. The Flitch Trials have a very long history. Not taken too seriously but the Claimants do not always win the bacon
Saturday after 19th	Abingdon, Oxfordshire. Election of the Mayor of Ock Street and Morris Dancing
Third full week in month	Selkirk, Borders. Common Riding here is oldest and biggest in the region, with up to 600 riders
Third week in month	Peebles, Borders. Beltane Festival and Common Riding
Third week in month	Melrose, Borders. Melrose Summer Festival and Common Riding
Third Saturday in month	Appleton, Cheshire, 3 miles south of Warrington. Bawming the Thorn; decoration of an ancient tree by local schoolchildren
21st	Stonehenge, Wiltshire. Summer Solstice celebrations
Midsummer Eve, 23rd	Across Cornwall. Chain of Midsummer Bonfires
24th	Penzance, Cornwall. Mazey Day/Golowan, largely a modern invention ‘revived’ in 1991 to encourage tourism. Two weeks of fairs and parades
Week including 24th	Dumfries, Dumfries and Galloway. ‘Guid Nychburris’ is similar to Border Common Ridings
Saturday nearest 24th	Youlgreave, Derbyshire. Well Dressing here is extremely expert and unusual
Saturday nearest 24th	Tideswell, Derbyshire. Well Dressing notable for their architectural pictures
Sunday after 24th	Oxford. Wall Pulpit Sermon at Magdalen College
First Saturday following the Sunday after 24th	Winster, Derbyshire. Morris Dancing of a unique type with 16 dancers and 4 ‘characters’
Last Thursday in month	Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. Cakes and Ale given to pensioners through a bequest of one Jankyn Smith
28th	Barrowden, Leicestershire, 6 miles SW of Stamford. Rushstrewing
29th	Warcop, Cumbria. Rushbearing
29th	Yarnton, Oxfordshire. Lot Meadow Mowing Rights. There used to be a lottery on this day to determine who got rights to mow which plot on two local meadows. However, the meadow has now become a nature conservation area so no more mowing and no more drawing of ’The Mead Balls‘
Last Saturday in month	Bakewell, Derbyshire. Well Dressing
Friday nearest 30th	Warrington, Cheshire. Walking Day is a vast religious procession
Last week in month	Ashburton, Devon. Ale Tasting, no longer serious
Last week of the month	Galashiels, Borders. Braw Lads Gathering
Last week of the month	Newcastle upon Tyne. Fair on the Town Moor is the biggest in the North of England
JULY
First full week of the month	Duns, Borders. Reivers Week and Common Riding
First Saturday in month	Great Musgrave, Cumbria, 1½ miles west of Brough. Rushbearing
First Saturday in month	Ambleside, Cumbria. Rushbearing; a huge procession
First Saturday in month	Paisley. Sma‘ Shot Day. Festival celebrating the victory of 19th century weavers in an industrial dispute with their employers
4th	Whalton, Northumberland, 5 miles SW of Morpeth. The Baal Fire
Second Wednesday in month	Upper Thames Street, London The Vintners’ Procession
Second Wednesday in month	Holsworthy, Devon. Pretty Maid’s Chanty takes place in the week of St Peter’s Fair
Second Saturday in month	Jedburgh, Borders. Gallant’s Festival and Common Riding lasts two weeks with climax on this day
12th	Padley Hall, Upper Padley, Derbyshire. Commemorative service for the Padley Martyrs
13th	Helpston, Cambridgeshire. John Clare Day, local school children lay “cushions” of flowers round the grave of the &ldquo:Peasant Poet”
15th	Winchester, Hampshire. St Swithun‘s Day (or St Swithin‘s Day if you prefer)
Middle of the month	Kelso, Borders. Common Riding
Middle of the month	Buxton, Derbyshire. Well Dressing
Middle of the month	Tweedmouth, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland. The Salmon Feast
19th (but possibly movable)	Chedzoy, Somerset. Candle Auction for a lease on some church land, every 21 years (next one in 2030!)
Tuesday before the Wednesday following 19th	Honiton, Devon. ‘The Glove is Up!’, an unusual opening ceremony to the Fair
Saturday of third week in month	Durham. Miners’ Gala is a vast gathering but less than it once was
Third week in month	Innerleithen, Borders. Cleikum Ceremony and St Ronan’s Border Games
25th, every fifth year	St Ives, Cornwall. John Knill Ceremony is a bizarre event resulting from the terms of his will.
25th	Ebernoe, West Sussex, 3 miles north of Petworth. Horn Fair
Fourth Sunday in month	St Mary’s Loch, near Yarrow, Borders. Blanket Preaching is an open air service on the site of a derelict kirk
Last Sunday in month	Croagh Patrick, Co Mayo. Reek Sunday. Some 15,000 pilgrims, many barefoot, climb St Patrick‘s Stack
Last Friday in month	Langholme, Dumfries and Galloway. Common Riding includes premier hound trail of the year, at 6 a.m.!
Towards the end of the month	River Thames from London to Henley. Swan Upping in which the beaks of all the swans are marked according to whether they belong to the Queen, the Dyers Company or the Vintners
AUGUST
1st or near (often before)	River Thames from London Bridge to Chelsea. Doggett’s Coat and Badge is a sculling race for Thames watermen
Thursday before first Monday in month	Ambleside, Cumbria. Ambleside Sports with all the traditional Lakeland events
Wednesday of week including 1st	Meriden, West Midlands. Grand Wardmote of the Woodmen of Arden; a series of archery contests using longbows
First Tuesday in month	Egton Bridge, North Yorkshire, 6 miles SW of Whitby. Gooseberry Contest
First Saturday in month	Lauder, Borders. Common Riding
First Saturday in month	Ripon, North Yorkshire. Feast of St Wilfred
First Saturday in month	Palnackie, near Dalbeattie, Dumphries and Galloway. Flounder Tramping championships. The ancient art of treading on fish!
First Saturday in month	Falkirk. Sir William Wallace Grand Lodge of Free Colliers (The Pinkie Men). Around 100 grown men in top hat and tails parade through villages on the outskirts of Falkirk with their little fingers entwined to demonstrate their forefathers rights as free men
First full week in month	Coldstream, Borders. Common Riding with an impressive ride-out to Flodden Field. The last major Common Riding of the year
Wednesday of the first full week in the month	Southampton, Hampshire. Knighthood of the Old Green is a unique contest on the world’s oldest bowling green
Saturday nearest 5th	Grasmere, Cumbria. Rushbearing
10th	Killorglin, Co Kerry. Puck Fair
Wednesday after 10th	Barlow, Derbyshire. Well Dressing; here whole flowers are used instead of petals
Second Friday in month	South Queensferry, Lothian. The Burry Man, one of Britain’s strangest characters
12th	Sutton, Surrey. Mary Gibson’s Legacy provides for a ceremonial annual inspection of the Gibson tomb
Monday after 12th	Marhamchurch, Cornwall, 1&feac12 miles SE of Bude. Revels, in which the Queen is crowned by Father Time
19th	Saddleworth, Greater Manchester. Saddleworth Rushbearung
Wednesday nearest the 21st	Priddy, Somerset. Priddy Sheep Fair
Third week in month	Irvine, North Ayreshire. Marymass Fair and Races
Third Friday in month	Newport, Pembrokeshire, 7 miles east of Fishguard. Beating the Bounds
Third Saturday in month	St Margaret’s Hope, Orkney. Boy Ploughmen; two contests for incredible girl ‘horses’ and the boys who perform on the beach with miniature ploughs
Saturday of week including 21st	Cilgerran, Pembrokeshire, 2 miles SE of Cardigan. Coracle Races
Third Thursday after first Monday in month	Grasmere, Cumbria. Grasmere Sports
24th	Sandwich, Kent. The Bartlemas Bun is a race around St Bartholomew’s Chapel following the Hospital AGM
24th	Gulval, Cornwall, just north of Penzance. Blessing the Mead
Saturday after 24th	West Witton, North Yorkshire, in Wensleydale. Burning Bartle, an unusual event somewhat like Guy Fawkes
Last Monday and Tuesday in month	Ballycastle, Co Antrim. Auld Lammas Fair
Last Friday and Saturday in month	Dunoon, Argyll and Bute. Cowal Games, one of the biggest Highland Gatherings including the World Highland Dancing Championships
Saturday before August Bank Holiday	Wormhill, Derbyshire. Well Dressing
Last Sunday in month	Eyam, Derbyshire. Plague Service commemorates those who died in the Great Plague of 1665
August Bank Holiday	Notting Hill, London. Carnival
August Bank Holiday	Denby Dale, West Yorkshire. Denby Dale Pie, on special occasions only, the last time to mark the millennium, an enormous meat pie is baked
SEPTEMBER
1st	Colchester, Essex. Opening of the Oyster Season
Early in the month	Newton Abbot, Devon. Cheese and Onion Fair
Wednesday nearest 1st, every seventh year	Richmond, North Yorkshire. Boundary Riding 16 miles around the town
Monday and Tuesday of the first full week in the month	Oxford. St Giles’ Fair, in the centre of the city
First Friday in the month	Musselburgh, Lothian. Fishermen’s Walk; a fine Friendly Society walk in attractive traditional costume
Monday after the first Sunday after 4th	Abbots Bromley, Staffordshire, 6 miles south of Uttoxeter. The Horn Dance, thought to be the oldest dance in Europe
Second Tuesday in month	Widecombe, Devon. Widecombe Fair; in the presence of Uncle Tom Cobley and all
Saturday nearest 8th	Lichfield, Staffordshire. Sheriff’s Ride is a statutory Boundary Riding
Saturday nearest 18th	Egremont, Cumbria. Crab Fair, to do with apples and not seafood, includes the World Gurning Championships
Saturday nearest 18th	Lichfield, Staffordshire. Dr Johnson Commemoration
Sunday nearest 19th	Painswick, Gloucestershire. Church Clipping; children join hands and encircle the church
21st or near	City of London. Bluecoat March from Newgate to the Mansion House
All month	Lisdoonvarna, Co Clare. Matchmaking Festival. Seems to have become a month long singles party and speed dating festival
OCTOBER
1st	Westminster, London. The Lord Chancellor’s Breakfast in the House of Lords
Last three days of the first week	Nottingham. Goose Fair, the biggest fair in Britain
First Sunday in month	Billingsgate, London. Fish Harvest Festival; an astonishing display of seafood in St Mary at Hill Church
First Sunday in month	Trafalgar Square, London. Costermongers’ Harvest Festival brings out most of London’s ‘Pearly Kings and Queens’. At St Martin-in-the-Fields
2nd	Braughing, Hertfordshire. The Old Man of Braughing. Thanksgiving service and dole for one Matthew Wall who escaped premature burial when one of the bearers dropped his coffin at the entrance of the church rousing him fron a comatose state
7th	Twyford, Hampshire, 3 miles south of Winchester. Bellringers’ Feast
Second Sunday in month	Ashton, near Oundel, Cambridgeshire. World Conker Championships
Second Wednesday in month	Tavistock, Devon, ‘Goosey’ Fair
Monday after 10th	Sherbourne, Dorset. Teddy Rowes Band. Similar to the Tin Can Band (qv December), an opportunity for local youth to meet to make an awful racket
Saturday nearest 23rd	Bristol. Redcliffe Pipe Walk from St Mary Redcliffe to a spring in Knowle
Late in the month	Royal Courts of Justice, London. ‘Quit Rents’ paid with ceremony to the Queen’s Remembrancer
Last Thursday in month	Hinton St George, Somerset, 2 miles NW of Crewkerne. Punky Night with decorated lanterns made from mangel-wurzels
30th or within a few days	Area south and west of Sheffield, South Yorkshire. Caking, a very strange pub custom in which men disguise themselves and others guess who they are
30th and the two following weekends	Antrobus, Cheshire, 4 miles north of Northwich. Souling Play performed in pubs all around the district
31st	Everywhere. Halloween
During October	Wirksworth, Derbys. Barmoot Court oversees lead mining affairs (also in April)
NOVEMBER
5th	Everywhere (but see also below). Guy Fawkes Night
5th	Shebbear, Devon, 7 miles NE of Hohworthy. Turning the Shebbear Stone is one of Britain’s most puzzling rituals
5th	Lewes, East Sussex. Lewes Bonfire Night is easily the biggest Guy Fawkes party
5th	Ottery St Mary, Devon, 10 miles east of Exeter. Tar Barrel Rolling; flaming barrels not rolled but carried at full speed
Wednesday nearest 5th	Hatherleigh, Devon, 6 miles north of Okehampton. Fire Carnival; a fascinating fire custom rapidly becoming a traditional carnival
Thursday nearest 5th	Bridgwater, Somerset. Guy Fawkes Carnival is a truly astounding procession of floats lit up with thousands of bulbs. Do not miss the ‘Squibbing’ at the end
First Sunday in month	London. London to Brighton Veteran Car Rally
Second Saturday in month	City of London. The Lord Mayor’s Show
Second Sunday in month	Everywhere. Remembrance Sunday
11th	Knightlow Hill, Warwickshire, near Stretton-on-Dunsmore, on A45 5 miles west of Rugby. Wroth Silver, an ancient tithe paid at dawn
11th	Fenny Stratford, Buckinghamshire, on the east side of Bletchley. Firing the Poppers
From mid-November until Christmas	Area south and west of Sheffield, South Yorkshire. Carol Singing in numerous pubs; local carols, not the church variety
Late in the month	Laxton, Nottinghamshire, 10 miles NW of Newark. Jury Day on which farmers inspect ‘field system’, followed a few weeks later by the Court Leet when they settle their affairs
30th	Eton College, Berkshire. Wall Game between Collegers and Oppidans
30th	Wareham, Dorset. Ale tasting and Court Leet
DECEMBER
First Monday in month	Brightlingsea, Essex. Choosing Day. Election of the ‘Deputy of the Cinque Port Liberty of Brightlingsea, a Limb of Sandwich‘. An honour which encumbers the winner with a 20p fine
6th	Hereford Cathedral. Boy Bishop
Sunday after 12th	Broughton, Northamptonshire, 3 miles SW of Kettering. The Tin Can Band, a noisy and crazy ensemble which performs at midnight all round the village
Any day in the lead up to Christmas	Richmond, North Yorkshire. Poor Old Horse, a mumming play featuring an animated horse‘s skull
End of school term before Christmas	Glastonbury, Somerset. Cutting the Glastonbury Thorn, a branch of the tree is cut and sent to the Monarch for Christmas
21st	Brighton, East Sussex. Burning of the Clocks, a parade with paper lanterns that are then burned on the beach to mark the winter solstice
23rd	Mousehole, Cornwall. Tom Bocock’s Eve and the Star Gazie Pie (or Stargazie Pie, or Starry Gazie Pie!)
Christmas Eve	Bampton, Oxfordshire. Mumming Play, in pubs and houses
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day	Uttoxeter, Staffordshire. The Guizers, a mumming play in the pubs the first evening, in houses on Christmas Day
Christmas Eve	Dunster, Somerset. Burning the Ashen Faggot, in the Luttrell Arms
Christmas Eve	Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. Tolling the Devil’s Knell
Christmas Eve to New Year	Area between Chesterfield and Sheffield. The Derby Tup, a short ‘play’ performed in pubs and houses by children. Unpredictable
Christmas Eve to Twelfth Night	South Wales. Mari Lwyd, a visiting custom involving a strange white ‘Horse’, now very rare but try Pencoed, near Bridgend and Llangynwyd, near Maesteg
Christmas Eve to Epiphany	Mallwyd, Gwynedd, and other places. Plygain, Welsh carol singing
Christmas Day	Serpentine, Hyde Park, London. Swimming Race for the Peter Pan Cup
Christmas Day	Sherborne Castle, Dorset. Distribution of Pennies at the Castle gate in the morning
Christmas Day	Kirkwall, Orkney. The Ba’
Boxing Day	Crookham Village, Hampshire, 5 miles west of Aldershot. Mumming Play performed outside several pubs
Boxing Day	Marshfield, Gloucestershire. Mumming Play; probably the best known in England
Boxing Day	Ripon, North Yorkshire. Sword Dance Play; in fact an unusual mumming play performed many times in pubs, houses and in the streets
Boxing Day	Grenoside, South Yorkshire, on the north side of Sheffield. Longsword Dancing
Boxing Day	Handsworth, South Yorkshire, on the east side of Sheffield. Longsword Dancing
Boxing Day	Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire. Bakers and Sweeps Football or the Flour and Soot Football Massacre as it is billed locally. Hmmm... Charity football match
Boxing Day	Dingle, Co Kerry. Hunting the Wren
27th	Melrose, Borders. The Mason’s Walk
New Year’s Eve	Biggar, South Lanarkshire. New Year Bonfire
New Year’s Eve	Allendale Town, Northumberland. Tar Barrel Parade; numerous guizers carrying flaming barrels on their heads
New Year’s Eve	Comrie, Tayside. Flambeaux Procession of huge flaming torches
New Year’s Eve	Stonehaven, Grampian. Swinging the Fireballs is a spectacular and alarming way to see in the New Year
AT OTHER TIMES
Five Sundays in the year	Ripon, North Yorkshire. Horn Days, on which the City dignitaries process to the cathedral led by the Hornblower. The days are Easter, Whit Sunday, ‘St Wilfrid’s Sunday’ (the first in August), Mayor’s Sunday and Christmas Day
Every Saturday	Woodbridge, Suffolk. John Sayer Charity
First Saturday of every month	Fern Street, East London. Farthing Bundles; now rather intermittent
Every day	Edinburgh. The One O’Clock Gun, fired from the Castle
Every night	Ripon, North Yorkshire. The Hornblower blows his horn at the market cross at 9pm
Every night between Michaelmas and Shrove Tuesday	Bainbridge, North Yorkshire. The Hornblower sounds his curfew at 10p.m.
Every night	Tower of London. Ceremony of the Keys, a most impressive event which can be seen by anyone who applies to the Chief Yeoman Warder for a ticket
Any day	Winchester, Hampshire. The Wayfarer’s Dole is given to the first 32 people who turn up at St Cross Hospital to claim it
No specific date	Tower of London. Constable‘s Dues. Whenever a large ship of the Rowal Nave visits the Port of London a fee of a barrel of rum has to be paid to the Constable of the Tower
Monthly	Lyndhurst, Hampshire. Verderers Court. Unlike many of these ancient courts, the Verderers do have legal powers (equivalent to Justice of the Peace) and are responsible for grazing, byelaws and rights of common in the New Forest

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Traditional Customs Calendar