ORGANISERS are confident the ancient Lymm Rushbearing Festival, re-born in the early 1970s, will return to the village on Sunday, August 8th.
This year (subject to unforeseen restrictions) Lymm Rushbearing will start at the Lower Dam at 4pm and then walk along The Dingle accompanied by Morris dancers and music.
They will then meet up again at St Marys for more dancing before a short service at about 4.30pm.
For many years in the twentieth-century Rushbearing Monday was a local bank holiday.
Ormerod’s late Victorian history of Cheshire refers to Lymm Rushbearing taking place in many communities on or near to the feast of the parish’s patron saint – hence Lymm’s tradition of having the festival during the summer holiday period and close to the feast of the Assumption of Saint Mary.
Although the carrying of fresh rushes to church (normally on a horse-drawn cart) was a central feature, and the replacement of the old rushes upon the earthen church floor a very practical necessity in former days, this gathering of locals also involved festivities including not only the procession and Morris dancing but also sports, fairground stalls, and very full public houses!
Lymm’s grey horses were well-known and a Lymm Grey is a person of an established local family, normally at least third generation born in Lymm.
The procession includes Morris men, people carrying Rushbearing garlands and rushes, the Chairman of the Parish Council and councillors, the May Queen and various local groups.
It is medieval in its origins and Lymm is one of a very small number of communities that have maintained this tradition.
For any further information contact Christopher Limb, email [email protected]
