IT’S JUST ANOTHER MAY DAY PROGRAMME

Perhaps it is, but as a May Day programme goes, it’s the Penrith Lions 40th May Day Carnival Programme. Every May Day has had a programme, but have you ever thought how much history is held in the 39 programmes that have been produced?

In my first attempt even at putting the Lions may Day programme together, the biggest challenge has been bringing it back from 2019, then making at least 200 phone calls to get as many people back on board as we could.

I also chose to research into the history of the programmes, and managed to acquire, on loan, 31 of the 39 previous May Day Carnival programmes. There is a lot of history in these programmes that relates to Penrith as a town, its people, its businesses and even how the streets, shops and landscape has changed. Sports day on the day before the May Day fair on the Foundry field, is a good example.

The print styles and colours of the programme evidence how print has changed and the process. Back in the 1981 programme, the telephone numbers then had just five digits. Everyone talks about the grand parade of floats, the bands and fancy dress.

The event that caught my eye, however, in 1981 was

I have a picture of the first May Queen, but I don’t know which year it was. Something I do know is that back in 1983, the Penrith Lions’ President, then Stan Calver, was ready for the weather…

As I see it this is just the beginning, and I’m hoping that by 2024, we’ll have a full set of May Day programmes, so we have a complete story of everything from the past to the present, about the different generations. By keeping this May Day event going, the generations have preserved its history and are already starting to map out its future.

If you have any information, programmes, photos or newspaper cuttings that we could copy and recreate for the Lions’ archives, please let me know.

Until Monday 6th May 2024, enjoy your May Day programme.

Lee Quinn

lee@cumbrianlocal.co.uk • 01768 862394

On behalf of everyone in Penrith a HUGE