2005 Jag Day
Very strong Westerly Wind - mild
Collected for British Heart Foundation £198.59 (£200)
Minibus from Ready Rent a Van of Normanby Rd Scunthorpe £76 Booked by Oliver Construction Ltd of Immingham and then donated by them so £88 given by jag team for mini bus hire and fuel was added to donation.
Started at Steve Hindley’s. West Common Crescent, Scunthorpe.
Gainsborough
Gainsborough Market Place. 11.00. Ploughjag
Xtra 11.30. Breakfast & Ploughjag
Lords 12.30. Ploughjag & songs and tunes
Eight Jolly Brewers. 12.30. Plough jag
The Gamekeeper. 14.10. Ploughjag, & songs & tunes
Winterton. The Lion’s Head 16.10 Ploughjag, songs and tunes
Scotton. The Three Horseshoes. 18.20 Tea then Ploughjag (at 19.00),
Ashby. Malt Shovel. 20.00 Ploughjag
Brigg. The Nelthorpe Arms. 21.30 Ploughjag & song
Brigg. Yarborough Hunt 22.10 Ploughjag & Songs
Characters
Rag Fool Jim Hancock s except Gainsborough
Recruiting Sergeant Geoff Convery s
The Lady Gordon Griffin s
The Horse Dave Hoy
Joe Straw Steve Hindley m except Gainsborough
s Gainsborough only
Flash Hatman Keith Brown s
Beelzebub Dave Barlow s
The Doctor Geoff Miller s
Dame Jane Gordon Griffin
Besom Betty Gordon Griffin
Musician / Marine Sergeant Major Kate Bilmore Gainsborough Only
Musician/ St George Peter Barnard Gainsborough Only
Musician Jerry Oakes Gainsborough Only
Musician Bob Cleveland Three Horse Shoes onwards
With a renovated costume, courtesy of Allison Gennery, Jim Hancock manfully stepped into the role of Rag Fool, as Eamon Greene had jetted off to New Zealand.
The Recruiting Sergeant had a new uniform, due to some very hard work from Geoff Convery.
Unfortunately, Geoff Turner managed to fall off a ladder and was unable to take part, so Gordon Griffin played all three female parts, which is a good trick if you can do it.
Eamon kindly left the Fool’s costume, but not the swords, a fact not noticed until just before setting off. Also no rolling pin or baby was available for Dame Jane. Some improvising was done. A kitchen roll holder became a rolling pin and a very flat cardboard baby was created in the image of the recruiting sergeant. At a couple of venues the baby was not only flattened, but decapitated, and ended up standing on its head.
The first performance, in Gainsborough Market Place was done without a sword dance, but accompanied by three musicians Kate Bilmore, Peter Barnard, and Jerry Oakes. Video and photos by Sue and Mike Dewsbury at Market place.
The Horse (Dave Hoy) went off, and returned with some extending curtain rods to use as makeshift swords. These worked pretty well but would not stand up to the strain of being woven into the ‘nut’.
Breakfast was enjoyed at the Xtra pub, an unscheduled venue. But a quick rehearsal of the sword dance using the new ‘swords’ prompted the barmen to request a photo session, so whole jag was done.
Quick performances were done in Lords and The Eight Jolly Brewers before heading for Scotter.
At the Gamekeeper a small group of people had come just to see the Jag. These included Gillian and Robert Guest and Robert’s mother, Nora. Nora’s father had performed in Ploughjags in the past and she could clearly remember the lines of the Doctor and ? both of which parts he had played. The words were very close to those of the Coleby Plough Jag. Robert and Gillian are both musicians and singers, and had come north from their home in Gloucestershire, to see the Plough Jag performance, and for Robert to take part in Sword Dancing in York on Plough Monday itself, 10th January this year. Robert being ‘The Queen’s Keeper of the Forest of Dean’, we were honoured to have such high ranking company. Gillian played several tunes on pipe and tabor.
The landlord and landlady of the Lion’s head in Winterton were having a retirement party so had requested an earlier visit to their pub. A sizeable crowd turned out to see the Jag and we were very well received. Terry and Christine Hood were present again, and Fran Ross and John Hewitt, who took photos and video. Win Readhead, son of Roly Readhead was present. Several other members of the Burton upon Stather Local History Association were also present, and they took lots of photographs.
Geographically the tour was not ideal, as we then went back from Winterton to Scotton, to the Three Horse Shoes, where Denise and John Butler and their staff served a good tea. After tea the Jag was performed to an audience including almost a dozen children. The expressions on their faces were priceless. We hope they remember the Plough Jag.
The Malt Shovel in Ashby was almost full, and the Jag was well received.
The Nelthorpe Arms proved to be a challenge. Changed to the final venue on the itinerary by the party at the Lion’s Head the cast were thrown into a very noisy and inebriated crowd in the bar and were forced to abandon the performance after the sword dance.
Again Dave Hoy came to the rescue, and quickly arranged a performance at the Yarborough Hunt, where the night was finished with a few songs.
