Plough Monday

Well, obviously Plough Monday follows Plough Sunday and yesterday we all (ourselves and visitors) went to the Plough Sunday service at St Mary's. The plough is pulled in by local farm workers and a churn and a fleece are also carried in. The service has been held for centuries and is the traditional prayer for the ploughing, sowing, growing and harvest as well as asking for a blessing on the work of all involved in working on the land. It was very jolly and afterwards the Highside Longsword men danced their traditional dance which, we were told is specific to Dallowgill (just outside Kirby Malzeard) and was the first longsword dance collected by Cecil Sharpe of the English folk dance and song society in the early 20th century - there's a claim to fame if you ever heard one. It was very intricate and ended with all the swords intertwined and held aloft. Afterward there was mulled wine and hot sausages at the back of the church !
I didn't take any photos in the church, but earlier in the day, on my walk, I saw the plough outside the church and was able to take a pic then.