Crowning of the May Queen 2015
Typical bank holiday weekend wet weather didn’t dampen the spirits of Gringley on the Hill folk,
who turned out to the Annual Crowning of the May Queen at the local 12th century church of St
Peter and St Paul.
The Crowning of the May Queen used to be a popular annual event in the last century, where the
whole village would join together to celebrate the coming of the summer with floats, dancing, food
and drink. The tradition was reintroduced into the village in 2012 with Charlotte Davies being the
first of the May Queens followed by Harley Newsome and Amelie Woodwards.
This year, Lyndis Rowley conducted the
thanksgiving ceremony in church and
having personally picked the Queen and
Flower girls from entries submitted by
village residents, oversaw the handing over
of the May Queen title from Amelie
Woodwards to Leonie McGuinness with
support from flower girls Poppy Marcroft
and Amy Clapperton.
“I pass to you this May Queen Doll for you to keep
all Year, I hope you do enjoy your day and it brings
you plenty of cheer
For you are now Queen of the May Leonie, you are
now Queen of the May”
“The honeysuckle round the porch has wov’n its
wavy bowers and by the meadow-trenches blow
the faint cuckoo-flowers
And the wild marsh-marigolds shines like a fire in
swamps and hollows grey and now I am Queen of
the May, I’m now Queen of the May”
Local children joined in the
celebration in fancy dress and
“Dave” the Minion led the
procession to the new Community
Centre where the after-service
celebrations were moved to due to
the morning’s wet weather.
The procession headed down past
the Market Cross, which according to
Gringley historians has stood in the
village for around 700 years, down
Cross Hill and along West Wells Lane
to the Village Community Centre.
In the new Community Centre, Children joined together to dance round the maypole led by Lynn
Clapperton and were then entertained by another famous Royal Lady, Frozen’s Queen Elsa of
Arendelle.