'For centuries people have been celebrating the height of Spring, and the first signs of Summer, at the beginning of May. This pamphlet examines the diverse ways they have done so in London South of the Thames. It is a story of milkmaids, chimney sweeps, kings, socialists, pagans, Christians, school children and anarchists...
...includes the stories of Walworth and Bromley May Queens, May Games in Greenwich Park, the Deptford Jack in the Green, demonstrations in Bermondsey and Woolwich, Horse Parades on the Old Kent Road, Maypoles in Kennington and St Mary Cray, festivals on Clapham Common and at Crystal Palace, and much more besides'.
Contents include:
- Ancient Festivals
- The Merry Month of May – Middle Ages to Puritans
- Milkmaids, Chimney Sweeps and the Jack-in-the-Green
- Reinventing May Day in Victorian times
- The Workers’ May Day: origins to 1930s
- The Workers’ May Day After the Second World War
- The Counter-Culture and the Folk Revival
- Anti-Capitalist May Days
- 21st Century May Day
The printed version sold out shortly after May Day 2012, so in the spirit of May Day abundance I am making a pdf version of the full 50 page illustrated version available as a free download. You can download it here.
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