A great night was had by all

Thank you to everyone who attended the race night at the Black Swan recently. A great time was had by all and we are already being asked if we will be holding another Race Night next year! Perhaps more importantly, thanks to the generosity of all those that attended and/or sponsored a horse, we raised over £350 for Maypole Trust Funds.

Don’t forget our Race Night is on Saturday 31st March at the Black Swan in Barwick at 7.30PM. Tickets are not required and admission is free (just turn up!).

How it works

A few people have been in touch to let us know that they have never been to a race night, and don’t know how it works… if this is you, don’t worry, as everything will be explained when you get there. Whilst it may seem a little complicated, it really isn’t… but in the meantime, here’s a brief explanation:-

Simply choose a race, select your horse and decide the amount you want to bet!

1. We will be running 9 races in total, and there are 8 horses in each race.
2. You can place a bet on any horse in any race (or multiple horses in multiple races).
3. If your horse wins, you claim your share of the winnings.
4. The more people that place bets (and the higher the value of each bet)… the higher the winning payouts.
5. We will take the winning horses from the previous 8 races to create the 9th race (an ‘auction’ race).
6. All 8 horses are offered up for auction… the person who bids the most, becomes the horse’s new owner.
7. The new owner of the winning horse in race 9 takes ALL of the winnings!

All of the races take place on video screens, so everyone can watch and cheer on their favoured horse … and as well as the racing, we will also be holding a raffle, prizes for the best dressed race couple, and offering ‘Sausage & Mash’ to race-goers for just 99p!

Horse Sponsors

As part of our fundraising we have been looking for sponsors for each horse. Each sponsor paid £3 to become the owner of a horse. If their horse wins the race, they will receive a bottle of bubbly, and an owners race cap! Thanks to the generosity of the local community, all 64 horse have now been sponsored. For added excitement, sponsors are of course free to bid on any horse (including their own) in any of the first 8 races.

List of Runners

We are delighted to bring you a full list of runners (and owners) below. Thanks again to everyone who sponsored a horse!

Race 1
1. Silly Billy – Neil Stagg
2. Hi Ho Silver – Dan Hampshire
3. You Bet – Mary Vipond
4. Aussie White – Barry Vipond
5. The Magician – Mark Edwards
6. Reet Petite – Katy Horkan
7. Sweet Sixteen – Nigel Rostron
8. Wonkey Donkey – Ian Quarmby

Race 2
1. Red Rum – Colin
2. Juicy Lucy – Pam
3. Ten Bellies – Brigida
4. Scally Wag – Geoff
5. Bizzy Lizzy – Stacey
6. The Drunk One – Helen
7. Bend Over – Steve
8. Bursting to Go – Andy

Race 3
1. Tikka Masala – Lucie Glover
2. Init2winit – Mark Newby
3. Teachers Pet – Lou Ward
4. More More More – Georgia Ward
5. Skint Again – Tom Croft
6. Mines a Pint – Rob Bradley
7. Golden Balls – Charlotte Moss
8. Mr Wonderful – Rob Bradley

Race 4
1. Quick Flash – Nigel Rostron
2. Donkey – Daniel Leadbeater
3. Lucky – Mark Whelan
4. Colour Blind – Clive
5. Speeding Fine – Nick Swales
6. Super Stud – Jamie Swales
7. Topless Dancer – Ben Sherrard
8. Tax Evader – Mark Pennells

Race 5
1. Puss in Boots – Claire Strafford
2. Woody & Buzz – Neil Stagg
3. Darts & Dominos – Dan Hampshire
4. Cops n Robbers – Ian Ashworth
5. Flash Harry – Clive
6. Everybody Out – Alan Crabtree
7. Run out of Juice – Georgia
8. Dick & Dom – John Beaumont

Race 6
1. Constipated – Oliver Tumilty
2. Ant & Dec – Lucy Tumilty
3. Top Cat – Emma Thompson
4. Chocaholic – Gary Thompson
5. Snailpace – Craig Tumilty
6. Angel Delight – Daisy Tumilty
7. Short Measure – George Thompson
8. Startime – William Thompson

Race 7
1. Loser – Dan Gire
2. Under Par – Julie Fergusson
3. Silver Streak – Albert Fergusson
4. I will if you will – Jean Fergusson
5. Ugly Chops – Dan Gire
6. Miss World – Auntie Izabela
7. Underpaid – Paul Fergusson
8. Mr Ed – Kath Bullock

Race 8
1. I’m The Boss – Lisa Haigh
2. It’s In The Net – Daz Appleyard
3. The Two Nuns – Sally Hardy
4. Strike It Lucky – Lee Haigh
5. Me Giro’s Late – Den
6. Sure Thing – Richard
7. Never Lost Yet – Mo
8. Without A Doubt – Diane Fasihi

Race 9
An auction race… horses will be offered to the highest bidder on the night!

Remember, the more people that turn up, the more bets that are placed, and the higher value of each bet, the more there is to be won! We do hope you will come along and support this event… and who knows? you could end up leaving with more cash than you arrived with!

Don’t forget our race night on the 31st March… it starts at 7.30PM at the Black Swan in Barwick, and admission is free (no ticket required). All attendees will receive a complimentary glass of bucks fizz, and if you fancy a bite to eat, you can grab a ‘bangers and mash’ supper for just 99p! As well as bringing you the excitement of the races, we will also be holding a prize raffle and giving away a prize for the best dressed race-goers.  If you would like to sponsor a horse for the evening, just pop in to The Black Swan and ask a member of the bar staff. The cost is just £3 per horse and each winning sponsor receives a race cap and bottle of bubbly! We do hope you can join us!

We’re delighted to announce our first event of the year on Saturday 31st March at 7.30PM at The Black Swan. It promises to be an entertaining affair and if you attend, you could even be returning home with more money than you set off with! As well as some tasty food and drink, there will be the opportunity to win some cash at our adrenaline filled ‘video race night’… get all the action and excitement of a live race in the comfort of your local pub, whilst raising some funds for your local charity (posh hats for the ladies are optional!). More details will be provided closer to the time, so please check back here soon or follow our page on facebook!

We would like to say a big ‘thank you’ to everyone who supported us at this morning’s highly successful ‘Christmas Coffee Morning’. We’re still counting the pennies, but first estimates suggest that a good few hundreds of pounds were raised for the Maypole Trust. If you were unable to make it, you can view some photos of the event in our photo gallery.

The coffee morning was followed by the Maypole Trust Committee’s Triennial General Meeting (TGM) where the residents of the village had the opportunity to elect the Maypole Committee for the next 3 years. Maypole Trust Chairman (Nigel Trotter) gave a speech explaining the election process, announcing retiring members, and also new candidates looking to join the committee. The floor was opened up for questions and comments, but none were forthcoming.

Upon asking those in attendance whether they would like the outgoing committee members to carry on their work, Nigel was met with a loud and unanimous ‘yes’ from the floor. As such, we can now formally announce the 2011-2014 committee:-

The following members will continue to be on the committee and their roles agreed at the next committee meeting:-

Nigel Trotter
Mark Vipond
Michelle Vipond
Jane Neale
John Fergusson
Lucie Glover
David Moss

Two new nominees were put forward and were unanimously elected. We would like to welcome aboard:-

Josie Ford
Karl Whitehead

The following members have retired from the committee, but may continue to support the Maypole Trust in other ways. We would like to thank them for their hard work and support over the years:-

Richard Hampshire (Richard has agreed to continue organising the Barwick Beer Festival)
Denis Scott (Denis’s tasks will be split amongst the committee)
Frances Smith (Frances will still be helping in an advisory role, and with occasional Maypole tasks such as leaflet distribution)
Barry Vipond (Barry’s previous tasks will be overseen by David Moss)

If you were unable to attend the TGM, and would like to join the committee, it is possible to become a co-opted member. To do so, you will need to be nominated by a current committee member and the nomination approved by the remaining committee members. We also welcome volunteers who are willing to offer help without needing to attend committee meetings.

Saturday 3rd December at 10AM at Barwick Village Hall

We’re having a coffee morning and you’re invited!

Teas & coffees with FREE re-fills
Home-made mince pies, cakes & scones
Home-made cake stall
DVDs and 2012 calendars available for sale
2011 Maypole Festival photos
Raffle

Why not join us for a tea or coffee and a delicious mince pie, scone, or slice of home-made cake? Meet your fellow villagers, chat with the Maypole committee and take a look back at this year’s Maypole Festival… all this for just £1 (all proceeds go t0 the Barwick Maypole Trust). Please note, cakes, scones and mince pies are available on a first come first served basis!

Calling budding bakers and expert sponge makers!

We’ll be having a home-made cake stall, and are looking for contributors! Whether it’s boozy fruit cake, fairy cakes made by your kids, a Victoria sponge, or a full-on patisserie masterpiece… all donations are very welcome! (bonus points will go to any Maypole themed cakes). If you would like to do your bit to support the event, simply bring your cake with you on the day!

Raffle

We’ll be holding a charity raffle, offering you a chance to win a selection of prizes, including a painting by a local artist, Maypole DVDs, 2012 calendars and more! Donations for raffle prizes are also very welcome (again, if you would like to donate anything simply bring this with you on the day).

DVDs  and 2012 calendars

Our highly popular DVD and limited edition 2012 calendars will be on sale on the day. These are selling fast, and we expect them to be sold out long before Christmas. Attending the coffee morning is a good way of ensuring you don’t miss out!

Triennial General Meeting

The coffee morning will be followed by the Maypole Trust Committee’s Triennial General Meeting. The main purpose of this meeting is to elect committee members responsible for organising the next maypole lowering and raising (each committee member serves a three year period and has to stand again for re-election at the TGM). As with previous years, this will be your opportunity to vote for your committee.

Join us at the Village Hall

39 Chapel Lane
Barwick in Elmet
Leeds
LS15 4EL

We are delighted to announce that the Barwick Maypole Trust limited edition collector’s calendar is now available for purchase at the Village Post Office, the New Inn, and via the Barwick Historical Society! Only 500 have been produced, and nearly half of these have been sold already… so if you want one, you need to act fast! Each calendar costs just £6, and all proceeds go directly to the Maypole Trust. You can even order a calendar on-line. Please click here for more details.

Thanks to popular demand we are delighted to announce the return of the Barwick Maypole Trust limited edition collector’s calendar! The brand new 2012 version features twelve scenes of the village in a traditional water colour style (more on that later). If you’re a local, you will most likely be able to recognise each scene, but here’s the full list:-

January – All Saints Church
February – View from Potterton Lane
March -  Main Street
April – Methodist Church
May – The New Inn
June – Jubilee Gardens
July – Rakehill Road
August – The Black Swan
September – The Miners Institute
October – View from Aberford Road
November – The Gascoigne Arms
December – The Cross

We know from previous experience that many people like to buy calendars as presents and that they are often sent all over the world… so we will be releasing the calendars earlier this year to give people plenty of time to meet international postage deadlines… or simply start using them to plan next year!

The calendar has been designed and produced by committee member, John Fergusson, who had the following to say…

“When I joined the committee, quite a few people asked me if we would be producing any calendars this year. I remember the calendars from a few years ago and recall them being very popular. At the time, I was living in the South East and one was posted to me as a gift and it was nice to have some images to remind me of home. With what seemed like a ready market of potential buyers lined up, it seemed like it could only be a good idea to produce a calendar for 2012, and since I have experience in design and print, I happily volunteered”.

John continues…

“I have always been interested in art and design, and felt that a calendar featuring pencil sketches and water colours would be very popular. Sadly my drawing and painting skills are just not up to scratch. I enjoy photography however, and can use Photoshop, so I thought I would combine these skills to produce an unusual effect. The images in the calendar are actually from photographs that I have digitally manipulated on the computer. I have used a little bit of artistic licence in some shots and done a little airbrushing to remove things like TV aerials and satellite dishes. Each image takes about two hours to get the overall desired effect, and although I don’t have the talent of a conventional artist, I hope people will still like them. In fact I am hoping that people will look at the scenes and be intrigued as to how they were created”.

The spiral bound calendar will be printed in colour (1 month per page) is A4 in size and comes supplied with a cardboard envelope for easy postage. There is ample room to note reminders under each day, with some additional space for a few notes. Each calendar costs £6, and all proceeds go directly to the Maypole Trust.

 
The Maypole Trust Committee would like to thank everyone who attended the 2011 Barwick-in-Elmet Maypole Festival and helped make the day a great success! The pole was successfully raised, the procession and dancing went ahead (despite the rain) and the street craft market did a roaring trade. The wet weather certainly didn’t seem to dampen spirits, and the sun eventually came out to play in the afternoon… just in time for our intrepid pole climber to make his hugely successful ascent of the 86 foot pole!

In case you’re thinking it’s all over for another three years now… it’s most definitely not! We’re busy taking down posters and dismantling stages at present, but we’ll be updating the site over the next few days to bring you photos, videos and press coverage from this year’s event, plus a whole load of historical photos, articles and information (thanks to the Barwick Historical Society)… and that’s not to mention details of some future events that we have planned! So make sure you bookmark us and come back again very soon. In the meantime, you can check out some recent coverage of the occasion below.
 

BBC Radio Leeds interviews maypole climber – Chris Brown

BBC Radio Leeds presenter Johnathan I’anson interviews Chris Brown, this year’s maypole climber… moments after he successfully scaled the 86 foot pole.
 

 

BBC Radio Leeds interviews Chairman – Nigel Trotter

BBC Radio Leeds breakfast show presenter Martin Kelner interviews Nigel Trotter prior to the 2011 Maypole festival and discusses the link between BBC Radio 4′s ‘The Archers’ and the village.
 

 

Press coverage

Finally, this year’s festival has had some very good press coverage… we’ll be adding links to these articles in the press pages, but for the time being, here are a couple of recently published articles:-

Yorkshire Post – Thousands jostle for pole position in the rain

Yorkshire Evening Post – Leeds maypole challenge rises to the tall challenge

It’s the big day tomorrow and the Maypole Trust Committee are working hard to finalise preparations for the Maypole Festival. The kids’ funfair has arrived, the stage is built, the signs are up, and last but not least, the pole is painted! Now all we need is for the sun keep shining! We look forward to seeing you all tomorrow… and don’t forget to get here at 10.30AM if you want to see the maypole carried to The Cross!

David Moss clears the steps of Hall Tower Hill

The stage is set (literally).

The maypole gleaming in the sunshine.

Our pole painters Kath & Carl Whitfield who can (almost) relax knowing their job is nearly done.

The fox weather vane… cleaned, re-greased and polished and ready to take pride of place on top of the maypole!