Fran Ross - Recollections
December 1997 My involvement with the Plough Jag has been on the ‘fringe’ so to speak. Like most of the participants I belonged to the Scunthorpe Folk Song Club and was recruited from there. Living close to Winteringham Abattoir, well 5 miles is closer than Scunthorpe is, it was my job to acquire the pigs’ bladders used by the Joe Straw, and deliver them to St
Geoff Convery's Ramblings
December 1997 I’ve been doing this for 15 years. Oh no I haven’t! Oh yes I have! I’d been aware of the insanity for years having seen it performed at Scunthorpe Folk Club on many occasions by tired and very croaky (not to mention still hung over) regulars but, for a variety of reasons, I’d never got around to volunteering. However in the back end of 1982 I approached the
Eric Stones Reminiscences
November 1997 On one occasion we played at a dinner dance at the Royal Hotel, one of the guests took delight in picking up the Hobby Hoss’ turds and throwing them around the room, while, I, Besom Betty was trying to collect them in my apron. I suppose they had run out of bread -buns. &nbs
Keith Brown - Some Thoughts
November 1997 I had seen the briefest of references to the plough-jag custom in books by Mrs Rudkin and Christine Hole; I had also heard some extracts of the Barton on Humber jag on field recordings made by Peter Kennedy. But I did not realise that the play was still being performed until I began attending Scunthorpe Folk Club. 1989 saw my debut as a Jagger
Kevin Leahy - A Dream Fulfilled
A dream fulfilled, Kevin Leahy, Hobby Horse, 1979 (Dec. 1997) There was only one part in the Plough Jag for me; I had always fancied being the Hobby Horse. Of course some of the other parts are also impressive, Besom Betty, for instance has very impressive parts although attempts to fondle them were dismissed with a maidenly fist. Nothing,
Guy Fawkes - A Mumming Play
In 1979 John Baker suggested that the interval in the Scunthorpe Folk Song Club's annual ceilidh on November 4th would be an ideal opportunity to perform a "Plough Play" loosely based on the Guy Fawkes story. John Walker, the Club Chairman said "You write it, we'll perform it!" And here it is:
GUY FAWKESA Mumming PlayNARRATORIt's the eve of an anniversaryWe're told we should remember,Of d
David Ogg - Thoughts on my First Plough Jag
Well, I was so proud to take part in the Coleby Plough Jag last Saturday. Maurice "Mo" Ogg (my Brother) wrote the play back in 1972 when I was just 4. I found it somewhat strange to see my big Brother dressing up every year and leaving the house in Coleby carrying a blown up pig's bladder on a stick!Well nearly 50 years on, and 40 years after Mo's passing I finally got to honour his memory.I was w