Whittlesea Straw Bear

The official channel for the Whittlesea Straw Bear. 

This custom takes place in the market town of Whittlesey, near Peterborough, England in January each year.

From when no one quite knows, it was the custom on the Tuesday following Plough Monday to dress one of the confraternity of the plough in straw and call him a 'Straw Bear'. The tradition fell into decline at the end of the 19th century, the last sighting being in 1909 as it appears that an over-zealous police inspector had forbidden 'Straw Bears' as a form of cadging.

The custom was revived in 1980 by the Whittlesea Society, and for the first time in seventy years a 'Straw Bear' was seen on the streets accompanied by his attendant keeper, musicians and dancers, about 30 in all. The procession now contains over 250 performers from all parts of Britain performing Molly, Morris, Clog, Sword, Appalachian dancing and performing Mummers plays. There is now also a decorated plough which is pulled by 21st century plough boys.