Out and about

Straw Bear Festival, Whittlesey, 11th, 12th and 13th January 2008

If you're a local, you've probably heard about Whittlesey's Straw Bear, but have you ever been to the festival? It's a great family event and it's the perfect way to round off the holiday season!

What's it all about, then?

Last year, the Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival celebrated its 28th year, but the history of the Straw Bear goes back much further than that. No one is quite sure when the tradition began, but Whittlesey folk seem to have been parading their Straw Bear around the town on the Tuesday following Plough Monday since the nineteenth century.

Photograph copyright Terry Harris

The Bear's original mission appears to have been to entertain the townsfolk in return for gifts of money and food for the local ploughmen. The parade seems to have died out in 1909 when a local policeman took exception to "cadging", as he called it, and banned the Bear from the streets.

The Bear bites back!

The Whittlesea Society revived the custom in 1980 and a Straw Bear was seen on the streets of the town for the first time in 70 years, accompanied by his keeper and musicians. The modern day bear costume weighs about five stone and 'bear duties' are usually shared between two townspeople.

Festival hightlights

The procession: Saturday's procession is the main spectator event with over 250 dancers, musicians and performers from various parts of the British Isles performing traditional Molly, Morris, Clog and Sword dancing.

Photograph copyright Terry Harris

There is also American-style Appalachia dancing, street performances, a story teller and Mummers plays. A decorated plough pulled by a local Morris side is also an established part of the procession.

The procession on Saturday sets off at 10.30am from the Ivy Leaf Club in Whittlesey and moves around the town, stopping at the market place and a number of the pubs in Whittlesey. There's a finale at the market place at 3pm.

Concerts and dances: For details of Friday night's concert and the barn dance and Cajun dance (both held on Saturday), visit the official Straw Bear website:

Sunday's Bear burning: This kicks off with a music and dance session at Sir Harry Smith Community College from about 12 noon, then at about 2.30pm the Bear is burned to mark the end of the festival.

It's like a family-fun version of Whittlesey's very own Wicker Man! Enjoy...