Allendale Says Goodbye......

........to 2012.

My second experience of the Allendale Tar Bar'l ceremony. Every New Years Eve for many many years the local men, known as guisers in costumes and fancy dress parade through the town with lighted barrels on their heads. The 'right' to carry is hereditary. There are several theories as to the origins of the ceremony.

It is a quite extrodinary sight. The route is lined by hundreds of people, a band leads the procession and the guisers are dressed in everything from traditional costumes (seen to the right of the garden gnome). Along with the gnome there were several super heroes, nuns x2 (one pregnant), some dodgy looking 'women', a mexican bandit with donkey (stuffed). a Red Indian, a knight from the round table, an Arab Sheik, Robin Hood, Ali G, The Stig and many more. The two oldest guisers in their costumes are no longer able to take part in the parade itself but then they are aged 94 and 101!

At the end of the parade the barrels are thrown onto a bonfire in the Market Square (see tomorrows blip) and the partying continues.

For another view see Monkey With A View

Preparations for the event can be seen here.