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Sweeps Festival history
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 Sw
eeps 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.
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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