May Morning

As I'm sure you know yesterday was May Day, that delightfully old celebration of spring. Oxford goes a bit mad: they shut off Magdalen Bridge, a large crowd assembles to hear the choir sing madrigals at 6am, and then they pour back into town where the pubs are open and there are more morris dancers than you can shake a stick at.

I remember my first Oxford May Morning, er way back in 1992. Something very special about it - a spirit that catches you. So for years now a group of us have been going out, playing our own brand of rumbustious rough music and entertaining the crowds. The group has become the Whirly Band, with bagpipes, drums, fiddles, accordions, hurdy-gurdies, costumes, merriment and, this year, a human maypole! Our mission? To piss in the face of mediocrity. Sadly Colin and Jane couldn't make it but me and Josie were out. You can see some of Kate Raworth's lovely pictures here but here's me and Jos, doing our thing. Up the May!