Stella's reminiscences

May Day - what image comes into your mind with those words? International distress signal, military parade in Red Square, riots in London or a bank holiday outing? For me, May Day will always evoke memories of a Northamptonshire childhood and baskets of flowers.

Anticipation was half the fun. Days before the end of April groups of friends solemnly inspected each others gardens for suitable flowers. then we had to beg a shopping basket from someone's mum and decide whose doll would have place of honour.

On the day itself, if it was a school day, most of the lunch hour would be taken up by arranging our flowers the basket with dolly in the middle and a collecting pot, usually a jam jar, at her feet. It looked beautiful to our young eyes.

Of course, bluebells, polyanthus, grape hyacinths and tulips when left out of water tend to wilt. By the time we returned from school, dolly's bower looked decidedly droopy. We covered her with a fair linen cloth, a tea towel, and set off on our quest.

"Would you like to see our May garland?" we chirped to anyone rash enough to open their door to our knock. We expected a penny or two in the jam jar in return for whipping away the cover and revealing our creation.

By the time we had covered an area of two streets or so, tempers were beginning to fray as we grew tired and the day often ended with us sitting on the kerb with our feet in the gutter sharing the spoils.

How innocent it seems now. Would 21st century children enjoy this I winder? Certainly, we could not encourage them to go door to door anymore, so this is why I hope today's little girls and big girls and brothers and dads will use their imagination and bring lots of modern versions of dolly baskets to decorate Saint Giles Church for the weekend of 19th and 20th May.