Thursday, June 23, 2011

Yo ho ho!...or does nobody actually say that? - Lydd Club Day


Last Saturday was Lydd Club Day. The Club Day started as a livestock market supported by local shopkeepers who paid into a ‘club’ to attract people to come into Lydd to spend their money. It was revived in 1948 and is an annual event held every year on the third Saturday in June.

Today it is a good excuse for fun with stalls, a funfair, floats, fancy dress competitions, a procession through town, and the crowning of the years new Club Day Queen.

We decided to have an Open Day at the cottage to coincide with Club Day - an opportunity for local children to get a look at the Tardis and Dalek.

We had visitors of all ages and they seemed to enjoy the sight of a Tardis in Lydd !

My favourite float was the pirate one - they certainly seemed to be into the role playing!

The pirate theme seems to relate to a one-off drunken idea that has turned itself into another annual event in Lydd. One that seems to have cemented itself into both the history and heart of the town.

Known simply as 'Pirate Friday', local residents gather on the 3rd Friday in June dressed in outrageous pirate gears; this is soon followed by copious amounts of rum being consumed and the shouting 'Yaaaaarrrrrh'. The source and evolution of the event is unfortunately unknown, with many people within Lydd and the surrounding area staking claim. However, despite the ongoing battle to decide who actually created Pirate Friday, the fact remains that it has now undoubtedly become an important day in Lydd's history.....Yaaaaaaarh

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