[plumseverywhere]

Maybe we can have some sunshine now? 

Busy day for us...culminating in drinks at the Maypole down the road, a BBQ, morris dancers, Maypole dancing and the choosing of the May queen and her attendents. 3 of our daughters are in the running for attendents this year 
Love this time of year - every one seems to be slightly happier, more relaxed and yes....the weather WILL improve...it WILL!!!!
Anyone else celebrating today?

[MAK]

Yep - Bank holiday here in France and we are off to a fete. Bad start though - thunder and lightening at 05:30 so I am on to my second breakfast already.
Plums - I hope one of the girls is chosen as May Queen - I guess you are chief hairdresser this morning 

[tizaala]

Yes , celebrating another painful trip to the docs, probably cheering like a mad thing when he tells me I will need a new hip before long. He will send me home with another carrier bag full of my drugs of choice, co-codamol ,co-dydramol,and tramadol . Oh! we know how to celebrate out here in the sticks....

[plumseverywhere]

Oh Tiz, seriously a new hip? sounds very painful, hope you get the painkillers you need (and the long term solution too) mmmmmmmm tramadol    enjoyed them when I had my trapped nerve!!

Yes MAK, will be hairdressing! luckily the names are picked from a hat but its going to be s*ds law that 2 of the 3 are picked and there will be war between them  hope your weather improves

[Clarebelle]

I will be going down to the Mayday celebrations at Ickwell on the bank holiday. My mum lives there and I have danced around the maypole a few times in my day, I never got around to being May queen though 

It will be the first year  have taken my kids down there, the whole celebration was rained off last year! 

[Rosemary]

No organised celebrations here but it IS  if somewhat breezy. As part of my own small celebrations, I've wormed and deflea-ed the cats and dogs and am going to clean out the hens 

[luckylady]

I have had my own little May Queen for 25 years - daughter's birthday today.  She is celebrating by going to work as usual and I am taking mother to the nuclear medicine department for radio isotope scan (another 4 hours sat in the waiting room - she was there on monday too).  Will celebrate May Queen's birthday this evening with, at her request, the three (OH not mother) of us watching Life of Pi dvd with treats.  Our family treats nights always consist of a dvd or board game, alcohol, dips and chocs - bliss! And daddy is taking his May Queen out for lunch today too.

[Roxy]

  For your girls, Plums, however many are lucky.
 
One village has a do on Bank Holiday Monday, with stalls and and fairground rides etc.
 
Other village has their May Queen parade in a couple of weeks.  Have a procession through the village, all local Rose and Carnival Queens join in, and wagon decorated as floats.  The Queen, Princess, Rosebud, are all chosen by secret ballot by the villagers.  The attendants are just picked out of who wants to be one I think.  Sometimes the Queen does a second year.  Not many older girls want to give up every weekend travelling all over to fetes.

[happygolucky]

TIZ, I put off having my hip done, I was born with it dislocated and spent the first 50 years in increasingly bad pain and drugged up for some of those years, I had it done when I was 50 and after the first initial pain from the op (bad pain indeed) I was pain free, in fact, I went out with the dogs and shouted " I am not in any pain" I actually could run.....this did not last too long as I left things too long and so now my spine is twisted and that causes its own problems, as well as knee problems due to the extra stress...so...get it done ASAP, you will be amazed!!!!!  I used to envy people who could walk around without any pain, now I realise that some people are pain free!!

[FiB]

yes I love may day.  I would have washed my face in dew at dawn, as is traditional for young maidens like me    - but there was a hard frost . 

[plumseverywhere]

FiB, that is no excuse

I've spent the morning with a broken down vehicle, very nice AA man he was. Now for the drinking to commence very soooooon!! My eldest is telling me how many of her school friends had to arrive late having been Morris Dancing since sunrise at various pubs.....oh I love this village 

[plumseverywhere]

Oh dear, no may queen attendants here but several glasses of red wine down and a lovely evening 

[renee]

Here in Sweden the festivities begin on the last day of April. St. Valdemar's evening. There are fireworks and bonfires. The noise and festivities were originally to frighten of snakes, wolves, bears, witches and other evil spirits before the animals were put out to pasture after the long hard winter indoors. I helped my neighbour take out his cows today. They are fastened all winter so it is a complete riot to see their gallivanting

[Orinoco]

We have had a lovely warm day with hardly a breeze.  Created a woodland walk down by the pond with wood chippings, it makes the nettles look like part of the greenery.  The dog with her 2 feline back up's amused themselves staring out the canadian geese, who stared right back.  A feeling of achievement and rosy cheeks, long may the sunshine last.

Would love to celebrate 1st of May but nothing seems to happen here (maybe I should start somthing for next year, if only I could predict the weather).

[luckylady]

............ luckily the names are picked from a hat but its going to be s*ds law that 2 of the 3 are picked and there will be war between them.............

Oh dear, no may queen attendants here but several glasses of red wine down and a lovely evening 

at least the girls can support each other in their disappointment  and you weren't witnessing sibling war. Enjoy your wine