Jack in the Green

By chance I got chatting with a couple of fellow beach-combers on Sunday, and they told me that it was Jack-in-the-Green weekend, with lots of morris dancing and drumming and a parade...just my type of event!

It turned out to be the home turf of Mad Jacks Morris who I knitted years ago for the Tenterden Folk Festival.

Sadly there were no buses running so I couldn't join the VERY busy drinkers, but I still had fun!

Here are just a few of my 125 photos! I started off standing with the drummers who were waiting to join the procession - yes, it was *LOUD*!

 So many fabulous costumes - mostly featuring green, not surprisingly!

I hadn't realised that the town entered into the spirit of the event so thoroughly and was quite ashamed not to be dressed up myself - next year I will! I did get splodged on the nose though...

Even dogs like to attend - though some of them aren't up to the long walk. I noticed the pram several times during the day, and only once did I see the dog awake, despite the noise! After the procession passed me I followed the crowd to get ahead of them and found a wall to perch on.

There were several giants, I'm guessing these are Autumn and Winter.

Great to see so many kids involved.

I don't know who the ladies below are, they certainly don't look like morris dancers but the crowd loved their flamboyance!

 This is "Jack" himself with his entourage - all green of course!

A giant mermaid (and why not?)

I wondered why there was a big gap before the next person...then I realised...

Not sure who these guys were intended to be - the leader was offering the one behind as a potential husband to the ladies in the crowd!

The end is in sight! This is the view down from the castle mound with the end of the procession and just a few of the spectators. There were great views over the town and sea from the castle, I'll have to go back another day when the weather is a little more friendly.