Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival 2012: All the fun of the Bear
The 2011 Whittlesea Straw Bear festival. Photo: Ben Davis/Peterborough ET
WE all have our favourite bear, but ask the residents of Whittlesey and they will all give you the same answer – their Straw Bear! CARLY LEWTHWAITE reports on the history of this popular festival, as well as what is on offer this year.
The much-loved straw bear will dance through the streets of Whittlesey for the 33rd year this weekend, with thousands of residents and visitors set to line the streets as he passes through.
The most popular event of the Whittlesey calendar, the annual Straw Bear Festival centres on the bear character being led through the town followed by a baby straw bear, dancers and performers, in a parade with origins dating back to the 19th century .
Around 350 performers are due to create a stunning spectacle of traditional dancing, music, street theatre, colour, story-tell ing and poetry in the towns streets this weekend.
Visitors have come from as far as New Zealand, China and Scandinavia for the festival, which is based on Plough Monday (the first Monday after Twelfth Night) but usually takes place a week later to give shop owners and pubs enough time to restock after Christmas and New Year.
No one knows the precise origin of the unusual festival, but it was certainly based on a 19th century custom of dressing a ploughman in straw, calling him a straw bear and parading him across town to ask for donations.
A newspaper of 1882 reported that the bear was taken around the town to entertain by his frantic and clumsy gestures, the good folk who had on the previous day given the ploughmen a spread of beer, tobacco and beef.
However, the bear was not just a figure of fun, and was considered something quite special. The best available straw was carefully selected and saved each year, the harvesters being heard to remark thatll do for the bear.
It was a way of making a bit of money for farmhands in the winter months, when the land could not be worked.
The bear was described as having great lengths of tightly twisted straw bands wound up the arms, legs and body of the man or boy who was unfortunate enough to have been chosen for the starring role.
Two sticks fastened to his shoulders met a point over his head, and the straw was wound round them to form a cone above the bears head, covering the occupants face.
The tradition fell into decline after the last sighting in 1909, when an over-zealous police inspector forbade straw bears as a form of begging and vagrancy.
Alan Ollenbittle, a festival volunteer, known as a Strawbearer, explained that the return of the festival was down to the determination of one man in 1980 and, in the following years, the Whittlesea Society and a team of organisers who worked tirelessly to bring back the straw bear tradition.
He said: It was a Brian Kell who wanted to bring back this wonderful piece of folklore and a small parade was held around Whittlesey at the same time of year that the ploughmen would have done.
It started in a very small way and as the folk scene grew, so did the Straw Bear Festival.
Alan also explained how the golden outfit is put together, and how the bears or bear drivers as they are also known, are chosen.
He said: The bears are chosen up to three years in advance. Size has quite a bit to do with it, because you have to be big and strong to be able to support the headdress which sits on a metal frame worn over the shoulders.
Alan explained that the Straw Bear tradition is observed in other countries including Germany and Austria, where the chosen bear is a little less comfortable than their Whittlesey counterparts.
He said: Unlike our bear, which is a headdress and a costume, in other countries the bear is sewn into the costume, meaning that they cant do anything once inside.
Because our bear is detachable, we can have a change at lunch, which is required because of the weight of the costume.
Alan added that for the past few years the baby bear has been the same child all day, with no change during lunch.
As well as the myraid of entertainers, visitors to the festival will also see many people dressed in bright yellow Straw Bear T-shirts.
These Strawbearers will have been involved in the planning and preparation of the day and, as well as acting as supervisors at barriers, they are also official collectors and will be accepting donations for programmes and selling badges and other memorabilia.
All the money goes towards the running costs of the festival, and any funds left over are distributed within the community.
Since 2006, just shy of 8,000 has been given to good causes, including Scouts and Guides, local sporting groups and, most recently, St John Ambulance and Whittlesey First Responders.
To cater for the thousands of visitors, pubs, resturants and takeaways will be opening their doors, offering everything from alcoholic beverages, tea, coffee and light snacks, to sit-down meals.
With final preparations being put in place for the big event, Alan added that it is a day to bring people together from all over the world.
He said: It does depend a lot on the weather, but we are hoping to bring in 5,000 for the festival.
People come from all over the world, it really is a wonderful thing.
I would say to anyone who has never been not to get despondent with all the bad news on the television and in the newspapers.
The Straw Bear is so successful because when everything around you is falling down, there is this event, which is jubilant, and sees people joining together to promote a bit of history and have fun.
It gives the youngsters something to consider that, when something goes wrong you can rebuild it and make it bigger and better than it was originally.
The event starts on Friday with an opening concert at the Ivy Leaf Club in Gracious Street.
The parade on Saturday departs Manor Leisure Centre in Station Road at 10.30am and winds its way through the town to Market Place.
As is tradition, The bear costume is burned at Sir Harry Smith Community College at 2.30pm on Sunday.
More information: www.strawbear.org.uk
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Friday 25 May 2012
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