I must write to you about the article in the Central Somerset Gazette of last week "Welcoming in the Spring on page 3", about the Mayday celebrations in Glastonbury.
They were most unexpectedly on Saturday, April 30.
Why has this shift happened? Isn't it more important than the Glastonbury Road Run? Road runs are common everywhere in the land, but there is only one Glastonbury First of May celebration, why should that shift to a day earlier? It is like shifting New Year to December 31.
Why could the Glastonbury First of May celebration not shift to two hours later, when all the hurly burly of the road run was over and done with. Or even, why could the road run not shift to a week later. It is only a local event. But The Glastonbury First of May celebrations attract people from all over the world.
Months ago already I arranged to have a family of four from the Netherlands coming over to see and celebrate especially the Mayday celebrations of Glastonbury because it is so lovely, and funny, and nice for the children, and something really English. And to my dismay I discovered everything already in full flow on Saturday, when my family hadn't arrived yet. They came especially from oversea for it.
Yes, it is in the Oracle of May. But that was too late. I picked the oracle up on April 30.
And then, coming out of the shop I saw the whole pageant going on already at the Market Cross.
Not only I had to disappoint my arriving family, but also I could not join myself, because of having to prepare for them.
I have had already many foreign guests to celebrate the First of May here.
Don't think it is something just for the community. It could be the biggest tourist event in the West Country, only second to the Glastonbury Festival. The guests who stayed with us always loved it. It is nicer, gentler, funnier, more uplifting even than the carnival.
Anyway, its too late! Whom can I take this rant to? the town council? the organisers of the road run? I hope they will think twice before making such a strange choice again.
Johanna van Fessem
Botswana Sir Michael Lyons Robert Schumann Energy Redrow Mexico
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