Over the weekend of the first May bank holiday, the Green Man Festival is held in the small Shropshire town of Clun.
On Clun bridge, a fifteenth century packhorse bridge
leading from the upper town to the lower town
the Green Man battles Frostie, the spirit of winter, and his ice maidens.
The Green Man invariably wins the battle, generously aided and abetted by the noisy crowds lining the banks of the river Clun; whereupon he proceeds triumphantly to the Castle grounds, accompanied by his May Queen with her attendants and knightly retinue, to open the May fair festivities.
There are food stalls catering for all tastes, there is a beer hall (of course); there are ice cream vendors and sweetie stalls for children.
There are all sorts of craft shops, handmade wooden toys, jewellery; paintings and musical instruments are for sale.
There are medieval tumblers and jousting displays; there are Morris dancers, there is even a mummers' play
There are many Charity stalls where money is raised for the Church, for Africa (Tools for Self-Reliance), for Wildlife Organisations, local children's organisations and many more.
The Green Man symbolizes an ancient rite of passage, which exists in some form in many cultures all over the world, celebrating rebirth each spring.
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