straw bear festival whittlesey cambridgeshire picture: shutterstock licenced

This weekend event, now known as the Straw Bear Festival, follows a nineteenth century tradition celebrating Plough Monday as the start of the agricultural year. Agricultural labourers dressed one of their own in a costume of straw, saved for the purpose from the previous harvest. They went from house to house begging for money after the “Bear” had entertained householders with a dance. The takings were shared amongst the labourers and most of the money was spent in the Whittlesey public houses of which there were many. The farmworkers often blacked their faces with soot in the hope of not being recognised as their entertainment became more and more rowdy. In fact, the event was finally banned by the local constabulary as it was seen as an opportunity for cadging and drunkenness.

In 1980, the tradition was revived by the Whittlesey Society and local folk enthusiasts. The event is held on the weekend nearest to Plough Monday which is itself always celebrated on the Monday after Epiphany. As well as the parade with over 250 invited musicians and dance sides, there are storytellers and a ceilidh style concert. On Sunday, known as Plough Sunday, a church service is held where a plough is taken into the church to be blessed. The event finishes when the costume of straw “The Bear” is set alight and burnt.

In 2024 the Straw Bear Fenstival will be held from 12-14 January You can visit the stawbear festival from the Whittlesey moorings.

The post History of the Whittlesey Straw Bear appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.

After two years of social distancing and pandemic precautions festivals are coming back to England this year! We are so ready to kick off the festival season with the return of our local St George’s Fayre, which will take place on Sunday 24th April 2022.

Pre-Covid this was an annual event in our home town of March, Cambridgeshire. You can expect the streets in the town centre to be pedestrianised, making way for a bustling street market and fun fair. The day begins with an opening parade at 10am, followed by live music throughout the day.

Fox Narrowboats will be offering river trips on board the March Adventurer day boat with a qualified skipper. Visitors can enjoy a half hour trip along the tranquil waters of the River Nene, leaving from the town bridge every half hour. This beautiful cruise travels through a park, continuing down the quiet Nene Parade.

If you don’t live close to March, you may like to book a narrowboat holiday to coincide with St George’s Fayre. Enjoy live music, dance performances, Punch and Judy shows and circus skills workshops.  St George’s Fayre is delivered by Fenland District Council and a committee of volunteers; it’s one of four ‘Four Seasons’ events which usually take place in Fenland’s market towns throughout the year.

On previous years attractions have included sword dancers, stilt walkers, mini golf, birds of prey, traditional games, storytelling, a vintage fire engine, a duck race and knights in shining armour.

The patron saint of England is often associated with the mythical tale of St George and the Dragon. This story is loosely based on a real-life George who was a Christian soldier of the Roman Empire, born around 280AD. Legend has it that George slayed a dragon that was terrorising the countryside, intent on devouring a princess. The idea of George as the nation’s patron saint probably began in William Shakespeare’s time. In his play ‘Henry V’, the king’s famous battle cry is, “God for Harry, England and St George!”

A Fenland narrowboat holiday is the perfect way to soak up the history and heritage of England. After a day at St George’s Fayre you could set off by boat, to explore the charming villages of Upwell and Outwell on the Middle Level navigation. Grab some fish and chips and take them back to the boat. Then if you carry on along the River Ouse and River Cam towards Ely and Cambridge you will discover Oliver Cromwell’s House, Ely Cathedral and the colleges of Cambridge University. You may like to travel at a leisurely pace and stop at some cosy waterside pubs along the way. This is an idyllic way to take a break from all the challenges we’ve faced over the past two years.

Choose from week boating holidays (seven nights), midweek boating breaks (four nights), or weekend boating breaks (three nights). We have different narrowboats available depending on the size of your group, and you can view the different boat layouts here: Fox Holiday Hire Fleet.

Price Discount: Holiday price discount of 7.5% until 1st April 2022 (VAT at 12.5%). Act now to take advantage of the VAT discount.

You may also like: How to Stop Gongoozling and Start Narrowboating

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Image credit: St George’s Fayre March facebook page

The post Enjoy Canal Boat Trips at St Georges Fayre This Year appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.