It's What We Do Best.

British ingenuity on display

We British enjoy many traditions but, some, we take more seriously than others.

1977 was the year of the Queen’s Silver Jubilee, the 25th anniversary of her accession to the throne. There were hugely formal events much steeped in the ‘Must do’ rules with every step, turn, look, inflection performed exactly according to the rules.

And then, there were the others, where her subjects have (take) more liberty to express themselves and have much more fun doing daft things like pram races.

This one was in Codicote, a little village in Hertfordshire. The idea was to dress up and be pushed in a dilapidated ‘Pram’ around the village, stopping off for a pint or two of beer on the way. It’s relationship to the formal events was, shall we say, loose. That said, everyone had a good laugh and went home happy. I’m sure the Queen would have taken part had she not been otherwise engaged. What’s not to like.

A little exageration helped set the tone.

I can only imagine how much this must have hurt.

It was such a refined day with all the beer glasses so neatly lined up.

Even the local vicar had a go.

A fine figure of British manhood, don’t you think?

I’d like to think one of these lads went on to be Prime Minister or to run the Bank of England. Frightening thought, really.

This is how we had fun and all without a screen in sight. Making use of our ingenuity and skills, out in the open, talking together, laughing and making memories. It still happens but not so much, sadly.

The next post, in a few days time, will be about one of our national, annual events, ‘Bottle Kicking’, where two teams of young men push, shove and fight each other to move a small barrell (the ‘Bottle’) to the other end of a muddy field. Who needs the Olympics when you have this?

Texts and images ©John Walmsley. All rights reserved.

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John Walmsley is a member of the National Union of Journalists and the Society of Authors. His work, in one form or another, is at the National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain Library, the National Art Library at the V&A, the V&A Museum of Childhood, Liverpool Museum, la Bibliothèque nationale de France and the University of California, San Diego, Library. 

With a wide range of other artists, he has recently taken part in group exhibitions in Sydney, NYC, Los Angeles, Arizona, Texas, Tbilisi, Sao Paolo, London, Glasgow, Edinburgh, France and Bangkok with others to come in Rome, Glasgow and Guildford.