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2007 Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels.

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tonynahrung
November 11, 2007

In a tradition dating from the 17th Century, the people of the Devon village of Ottery St Mary have been running....blah blah blah...i couldn't be arsed writing it myself so i'll just copy and paste...thanks EarlofWarwick!!

Every year on November 5th since time began, well at least since the 17th Century, this quaint little town nestled in the heart of the Devonshire countryside comes alive with the smell of blazing tar and roar of the crowds as seemingly demented men women and children tear through the packed streets carrying blazing barrels on their backs.

It is the famous Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels.
Thought to have originated in the 17th Century, this tradition involves wooden barrels soaked in tar which are set ablaze, hoisted aloft and carried through the packed streets and alleys of Ottery St Mary on the shoulders of the privileged few elite "Barrel rollers".

Every pub in the town sponsors a barrel making a total of 17 tar barrels, ranging from children's, through ladies to the men's tar barrels weighing anything up to 30 kilos. Each one is lit in turn outside its sponsoring pub. Starting late afternoon with Children's tar barrels and the grand finale culminating in the square at midnight with the last men's tar barrel.

No one is really sure why they do it but the most popular opinion suggests a pagan ritual to rid the town of evil spirits using cleansing flame and the camaraderie of the townsfolk.

Whatever the reason it is a truly spectacular event, and combined with an enormous bonfire on one side of the river and the annual funfair like a neon reflection on the other makes it a really remarkable occasion, one of the last remaining traditions which should be cherished and saved from the insanity of the powers that be. END QUOTE.

HEY!!! IT'S ME AGAIN!! Seriously, this is an insane night of fun! Drinking beer (this is England so you can take your own and drink in public), dodging burning tar barrels, chilling by a huge bonfire or enjoying rides at the fun fair, remembering remembering the 5th of Novembering for gunpowder and treason and plot, i can think of no reason why the 5th of November should ever be forgot!!!
Anyway, If you're ever in South West England in early november, do yourself a big favour and get along to ottery st Mary for the evening of the 5th.

Category: Travel & Events

Tags:

Ottery st Mary tony nahrung tar barrels 2007 cucumber RTFBG guy fawkes devon

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icantstopdoingthis (1 week ago) Show Hide

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@jaseydalts I went this year (and although not a student myself, am of such age) and can honestly say that despite some idiots (like the aerosol twat), the students were very supportive and made the night a light hearted and fun event, subduing the realisation that i was under constant threat of fiery death. Besides, it is an event that anyone with an adrenaline addiction should take part in and was the single most fucking mental night of my life!!!

gjones16 (2 weeks ago) Show Hide

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i live in ottery and it is great but also mental at the same time.

NomadJonesMusic (2 weeks ago) Show Hide

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mentalists!

thestuart123 (2 weeks ago) Show Hide

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i live in ottery 2 and apparently its raining the year

SMUDGOOSM (1 month ago) Show Hide

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i live in ottery and yh it is a gd tradition!

asteroceras (5 months ago) Show Hide

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Not a bad year: only eight fatalities.

yukimushu (6 months ago) Show Hide

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lmao "I almost spilt my bloody beer!" - "I spilt my beer!!!"

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wangdalf (1 year ago) Show Hide

-1

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"18 year old toffy nosed idiots" - fair description of a lot of exeter uni students

TheQuietEye (1 year ago) Show Hide

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That is totally demented, and makes me proud to be British. Why hasn't it been banned yet? Hasn't anyone done a risk analysis for Health and Safety and event insurance purposes? "We plan to drink heavily, and run up and down an overcrowded town square in the dark, carrying barrels belching flame which fall apart unpredictably. Then we drink some more and go and sacrifice in the Sacred Grove .... ooops, what a giveaway, it's a Christian winter festival, honest ...."

I love it!

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2007 Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels.

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