Grassington Dickensian

For the last few years we have visited Grassington Dickensian festival and market in Wharfedale, Yorkshire. This festival is right at the top of the tree as far as atmosphere, organisation and general enjoyment is concerned. Everything about it is superbly organised and everyone who gives their time to take part does a wonderfully professional job. So my advice is if you get the chance (and you like this sort of thing, not everyone’s cup of mulled wine I know) then plan this one into your diaries for next year. I’m afraid I cannot give you too much background information as to the characters that play the most prominent part ‘the Mummers’.  However I did manage to squeeze in a few photos, which is a minor miracle with shepherding 3 dogs around too. This event is so popular with bus after bus ferrying people from the park and ride. So all of these images are taken just as part of the crowd, not ideal for composition purposes but height does give me at least some advantage

The Human vegetable machine is a stroke of genius. It works like a fruit machine except its humans who decide the ‘vegitable’. Three of a kind pays out.

Drumming up business

Pay your stake

Spin the wheel

At the end of the forced laughter, each person puts a vegetable on the top in front. Sadly I, err, neglected to take a pic of this part.

As you walk around the various Mummers amble from place to place but always ‘in part’.

Each one prepared to stop and smile (or otherwise) for any snaps.

A statue on the corner.

There are plenty of old fashioned ‘fun’ market stalls. Toby won on the coconut shy.

The Mummers then made a procession up to the top of the road in order to perform the Mummers’ play.

As we followed up, we stopped briefly to watch the Morris Dancers.

The Town Crier went past.

Then up to watch the play.

Which was, as always, brilliantly acted out.

hmmm, a bit of depth photo trickery…I hope.

Some singing too

Finally bowing to pressure, Toby had a go on the distinctly sloping ‘ice’ rink.

Topped off by a snow machine, very festive.

Another reason to go? Well Wharfedale is perhaps the second most beautiful place on earth – behind the Lake District of course