Our third May dance out in as many days, found us in the picturesque South Warwickshire Village of Preston on Stour. This was a wonderful, traditional May Day in the very best of senses.

We danced The May Queen elect, all the way from The Village Hall to The Village Green and on to her throne where she received her floral crown. Surrounded by her handmaidens, flag bearers, Adderbury Village Morris Dancers and assembled villagers, she became The Queen of the May as the crowd cheered, applauded and cried ‘all hail The Queen of the May.’ That was when the May revels began…

The Preston on Stour May Song was sung to our tune ‘The Landlord’. We danced a selection of Adderbury Village Morris Dances by the massive Maypole. We coaxed the villagers to join us in Shepherd’s Hey. Games and races were organised for the children. We drank tea and ate lots of cake. We had our photographs taken and then danced again, finishing with another mass Shepherd’s Hey and of course Brighton Camp.

Then the tug o war. Preston v The Rest of the World….again.

What a wonderful afternoon. Thankyou Preston on Stour, see you next year. ‘All hail the Queen of the May’.

Donald