New Ickwell maypole stands proudly on village green

Ickwell residents are delighted to see a new maypole standing proudly in their village green.

The beautifully painted tree trunk, gifted by the The Shuttleworth Trust, was erected by UK Power Networks, much to the excitement of residents young and old.

The last time the village was able to hold its May Day celebrations was in 2019, and local schoolchildren can't wait to dance around the maypole again this year.

Jonathan Payne, former chairman of the Ickwell May Day Comittee, said: "It's part of the heritage, really. So many of the old fashioned customs seem to fade unless there's a determined effort to ensure that some of the traditions are maintained and don't just vanish.

"It's part of our national history, a piece of British history.

"The maypole stands in a traditional English green, nearby thatched cottages - it's a typical village scene. We're doing our bit to keep history alive."

In circa 1872 the first permanent maypole was erected on Ickwell Green and provided by a wealthy gentleman named Squire Harvey, a resident of Ickwell Bury.

There has always been a cycle of pole replacement (due to rot) with the previous maypole installed in 1982.

Jon told the Chronicle: "It was given to us by the Bedford Estate at Woburn and I painted it with the committee chairman at the time, John Cracknell. It was painted every ten years.

"However, in 2019, the last time we had a May Day event, we noticed on inspection that there was some rot at ground level."

The new wood, a Corsican pine from The Shuttleworth Estate, was felled in autumn 2019, and received by the committee in the spring of 2020 to prepare and paint.

Rehearsals are now underway for the next May Day event, which will be held on Monday, May 2.

Jon said: "The May Day tradition goes back about 400 years, and we are one of a few locations to have a permanent maypole.

"We hope to encourage new residents to take part, and many of the May Queens look back fondly on their time as May Queen."

On the day itself, the May Queen and her entourage, including local children and older 'scholars', will process through the village, joined by Bedford Morris Men and Letchworth Morris Men.

They will then parade round the green, before the May Queen sits on her throne to observe of the proceedings, and is crowned by the previous year's queen.

There is plenty for residents to enjoy, including, of course, morris, country, and maypole dancing, as well as stalls and ice cream.

Jon concluded: "We are indebted to UK Power Networks for assisting us, and to The Shuttleworth Trust trustees for kindly providing the new maypole."

A UK Power Networks spokesperson said: “Helping with the Ickwell Green maypole using our specialist equipment has become something of a tradition for the UK Power Networks team based in Bedford and three members of staff were more than happy to volunteer to assist the community again this year.”

To find out more, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/ickwellmayday/ or https://www.ickwellmayday.co.uk/