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Imagine a world 400 years ago where children were used as chimney sweeps. The pay was low, it was a dirty trade and there was little reward for the men who did the job and even less for children. Medway’s annual Sweeps Festival recreates the joy and laughter enjoyed by the chimney sweeps at their traditional holiday: the one time of the year the sweeps could leave the soot behind and have some fun. The sweeps’ holiday was traditionally held on 1 May each year. Locally, they used to mark the occasion by staging a procession through the streets of Rochester. Their fun continued with the Jack-in-the-Green ceremony, a seven-foot character that they used to waken at dawn on Blue Bell Hill, Chatham. The Jack-in-the-Green would walk with the chimney sweeps in their parade. When the Climbing Boys’ Act 1868 made it illegal to employ young boys to carry out the trade, the traditional procession gradually began to fade. The final May celebration was held in the early 1900s. The modern day Rochester Sweeps Festival is a colourful mix of music, dancing and entertainment with more than 60 Morris sides and entertainers celebrating throughout the three-day festival.
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The festival was revived in 1981 by local businessman Gordon Newton, a keen historian. He decided it was time to bring it back and over the years he has helped develop the festival into what it is today – an extravaganza of traditional Britain.
Gordon researched the Sweeps’ tradition and organised a small parade, involving local Morris teams. In time, Medway Council took over organisation of the festival but Gordon remained actively involved. Today he is festival producer and plays melodeon for several Morris teams.
Doug Hudson is the festival’s music director, a role he has held for many years. Doug is lead singer with the Hot Rats and well known on the local and national folk scene. He was involved in a folk club at Medway Little Theatre in the 1970s and now arranges a programme for Medway Folk Cellar and Folk at the Brook, two local clubs whose performers can be found in the brochures for the Brook and Central Theatres and on the theatre booking website.
Through Gordon’s vision and hard work, Doug’s musical ability and the council’s help, the Rochester Sweeps Festival has become the largest May Day celebration of its kind in the country.
The Sweeps Festival is special because the centre of Rochester truly opens its arms and embraces the three-day event. You don’t have to know much about Morris dancing to enjoy the festival because it has more than enough atmosphere to go round.
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