Calendar Customs Calendar Customs
Banbury Hobby Horse Festival
Banbury Hobby Horse Festival is...
A national celebration of hobby horse and animal disguise customs in the UK and beyond (but is locally distinctive as a unique event)
A community celebration of Banbury Cross, the cock-horse nursery rhyme, and related aspects of heritage
Informally linked with Banbury in Bloom, the best focus of community activity in the town, and a point of great local pride.
History
The festival began in June 2000, initially prompted by concerns that the town should be capitalising on the fame of Banbury Cross, and seeking to regenerate the Cross area as a new shopping centre opened by the canal. It was inspired partly by the success of Hastings Jack In The Green, and awareness of other events such as Whittlesey Straw Bear festival.
The festival is both a national celebration of hobby horse customs, and also a community event, with comic races, workshops, fancy dress and so on for local people. It takes place partly in the sublime village of Adderbury, well-known for its morris tradition. The editor of EDS, the English Folk Dance and Song Society magazine, described the festival as "one of the most unusual festivals in the modern folk calendar". He wrote: "It was fun, enjoyed by all and very much in that spirit of English eccentricity which so characterises our finer moments... an event to place on your calendar."
You can find pictures at http://hobbyhorsefest.has.it and other news at http://www.hobbyhorsefestival.co.uk
It's free! We do not charge a fee for participants - after all, we ask you to perform for free.You pay for your own food, which we organise. We do not sell tickets for anything, so we can't give you any. We ask you to come for the pleasure of the thing, and for the very good company you'll find.
Simon Pipe
Horn Hill Cottage,
Horn Hill Road,
Adderbury,
Oxon
OX17 3EU. Tel +44(0)1295 812368
E-mail: Simon.Pipe [at] bbc.co.uk
See some other hobby horse links
