Further to Monday's post about the Ottery Tar Barrels. Here's a video from Peter Hodge that does a fine job of showing just how crazy the Ottery St Mary villagers are.
Every year on November 5th thousands of people descend on the English village of Ottery St Mary in Devon, to celebrate a 17th Century tradition.in which brave participants carry burning tar barrels shoulder high through the streets. The event is a culmination of autumn festivities in the town, including an annual carnival, that takes place on the preceding Saturday, complete with a magnificent display of fireworks.
Starting with the junior barrels in late afternoon the size of the barrels get steadily bigger until the final enormous one is carried just before Midnight. A gigantic bonfire over 10 m (30 feet) high and topped with Guy Fawkes, provides the impressive background to the occasion together with a fairground and several other festive attractions.
Ottery St Mary is only an hour or so drive, to the west of Weymouth.
Here is a video from Australian, Tony Nahrung, that will give you a feeling of warmth during the cold, damp days of the British autumn. It features the people of the Devon town of Ottery St Mary and their remarkable tar barrel rolling festival. That this festival occurs on 5 November each year should give a clue to what happens at possibly the most crazy event in the UK, eloquently described by Tony as "an insane night of fun, drinking beer, dodging burning tar barrels, chilling by a huge bonfire and enjoying rides at the fun fair." That's right, burning tar barrels.
The chosen few, known locally as Barrel Rollers and affectionately referred to as Devonian Nutters, hoist burning, wooden, tar barrels onto their shoulders and run through the streets. Teams of Barrel Rollers, men, women and children, represent the different pubs in the village, carrying on a 17th century tradition to rid the town of evil spirits.
