The Tradition They Tried to Erase – Hastings Jack in the Green Festival

Hey, welcome to another one of my videos. Here you find me on the beautiful English Southern coast. This is Hastings. I was thinking am I going to have to stay in the stable. Looks cool. How much do you like drinking? I mean we love drinking. Now, people who've seen my videos before might remember my videos where I visited Bex Hills in Hastings. The background noise that you can hear are the sound of bikers. A lot of bikers are in town today. Not to come see me, not to come see Hastings, but to celebrate Jack and the Green. So we are here to celebrate the end of the winter season. May Day. The springing of life. The Green Man. The Green Man you'll see all over the United Kingdom. Green Man pubs. Basically a bearded man. Not myself. A bearded man that basically springs from the forest. Has leaves growing out of his face. Saying goodbye to the darkness of winter and saying hello to the summer months. Rejuvenation where the trees are basically springing into action. This is what Jack and the Green is all about. It's about rejuvenation. It's about fertility. It's a very old English pagan British tradition in the fact that it goes back to pre-Roman times. It goes back to when we were first Britons on this island. Made up of many many different tribes. For some reason since the 1980s the bikers seem to have taken it as a cause. Hence the reason you can see here a lot of bikers in the distance. A bunch of leather clad individuals all having midlife crises. Revving their engines because it makes them feel good. No harm in that. No harm in that at all. But we're going to walk along this beautiful promenade. And it's a beautiful promenade when the weather's nice. You can see Baywatch type life places over here. No Pamela Anderson in sight. Not many people swimming today. It's a cool 12-13 degrees Celsius. Middle of May. Well first week in May. And everyone walking in this direction is walking to see the Jack and the Green parades. And I'm going to take you there. Expecting to see the green man and lots of foliage. You know people dressed up with greenness around them. But instead first thing I'm presented with are all these bikers. These bikers. Some of them having a midlife crisis. Some of them just enjoying themselves. Well they're all enjoying themselves. So no disrespect to you guys. I like the fact you're gathering. You guys are out here showing your bikes. You're having a good time. But there is a lot of bikes around here. A lot of smoke. Because some people are revving their tyres. Some people are just sort of revving their engines. All types of bikes. BMWs, the Kawasaki's. You name it. There's all types of bikes here. From the Harley's to the Indians. What's your favourite bike? Here's a nice one. Beautiful bikes. All types of bikes. I don't think they care too much about the green rejuvenation of the world. It's the smell of fumes right now. While rain drips on my face. Now what brings these chaps together? It's the famous Mayday run. It's actually been going since 1979. Thousands upon thousands of motorbikes have their chrome gleaning leather jackets on display. And the deep thunder of engines that rolls in from all across the country. Now listen I've got nothing but respect for these men and women who ride their bikes down to Hastings on this beautiful day every single year. They have a proper community. They love their freedom. Their machines. The open road. And they come together every year to celebrate Brotherhood. It's British through and through. It's very Western through and through. The spirit of adventure and camaraderie. And I really do tip my hat off to them. But while the bikes are roaring and the seat front is alive with modern energy. Something far older, far deeper is happening just up the road in the Old Town. And that my friends is the true soul of England's past. The Hastings traditional Jack in the Green Festival. Keep root of the procession. And I figured it'd be best to get a vantage point at a certain point. This area is what is known as Ugly Union Street. And there are people gearing up for the procession right now. A lot of people waiting for Jack. A few people drumming away. They say be sure to wear a flower in your hair every time you go to San Francisco. Well given that San Francisco has gone to the dogs. Some beautiful dogs here. We wear flowers in our hair in Hastings. Or flowers in our hats. So we're going to try and get a bit of vantage point here. Look around in front of me. Look at these beautiful houses. There we go. Now as I wander away from the chrome and leather. And head into the cobbled streets of Hastings Old Town. The atmosphere completely changes. The air fills with the jingle of Morris bells. And the thump of drums. And the laughter of folk dressed in greens and flowers. Someone, for example, if they lived in Fiji on the other side of the planet. How would you describe it to them? Because I've been to talks about Jack in the Green. And it was something that was revived from many, many, many years ago. Sort of the early 1900s. And it's something that, I don't know, it's just an old folk one really. Keith Leach, who's the founder of it, who revived it. He's the one that basically said that he doesn't feel that it's connected to Wicca or anything like that. It's just a traditional festival. It's a folk festival. Celebration of the Green Man. Yeah, the Green Man. Well the contrast couldn't be further. We're outside the Catholic Church. St Mary's on the Sea Church. Probably built many, many hundreds of years ago. And here will be one of the main focal points for the parade. Where we will get to celebrate Jack on the Green. And as he comes down in this direction, at least that's my hope. We will see the contrast of paganism contrasted with Catholicism. But the two go hand in hand. They align both for a celebration of life. And there he is. Or rather there it is. The Jack on the Green himself. A towering figure. Completely covered in fresh leaves and garlands. A living, breathing symbol of spring turning into summer. He's escorted by the bogeys. Those cheeky green-faced characters who keep the crowds back. The black sell. The sweeps. The milkmaids. The giants. And the dozens of Morris dancers who come from all over the country. This isn't some modern invention slapped together for Instagram. This tradition goes back right to the 17th and 18th centuries. It started with the milkmaids of London. Decorating their pelts with flowers for May Day. Then the chimney sweeps decided they weren't going to be outdone. Their garlands got bigger and bigger. Until they covered the whole man in a wooden frame of greenery. Yes it was rowdy. It was joyful. It was a proper working class celebration of the turning of the seasons. By the late 19th century the Victorians and their starch collars. And the disapproval of anything a bit too lively. Basically killed this off. They replaced it with the more sedate maid queen business. And for decades the Jack and the Green was all but almost forgotten. But thankfully not here in Hastings. In 1983 probably incentivized by those mad bikers that started it all in 1979. A group of local folk enthusiasts led by mad Jack Morris. Now Hastings. Rx Morris. And Keith Leach brought Jack and the Green back to life. These mad folk who loved their folk. Certainly did their research. They researched old accounts. Rebuilt the costume. And restarted the procession. Today it's one of the biggest and most authentic Jack and the Green celebrations. In the entire country. Just having some of the parade past us. Jack has passed us. He's now up ahead of us. He's down there. Real sort of contrast. Got the Morris starches. This was actually started by someone back in 1983. Thought he'd basically rejuvenate. This event. Now it's become like a real tourist thing for everyone. The traditional Morris dances. Oh Jack's now coming back. He wants to be on camera here. You see there's Jack just there. There we go. So my name's Christine. I've been a member of Section 5 for 10 years. This is my 11th year actually. Section 5 was born out of bonfire. Because there were bonfire societies that used to go along. And then they added drums. Then it became a drumming group alongside Robin Hood Bonfire. You've got some amazing outfits. And is it representing flame or flames or something else? It was more I think someone decided that red and black was the colour. We don't have a uniform. But we have the creativity of you can wear whatever you want. So we do. So we often wear, the females wear corsets and dresses and what have you in the summer. If it's bonfire we're all in trousers and what have you for health and safety really. What you guys do, is it relevant to the Jack and the Green Parade Festival? Or is it just separate, completely separate in itself? We're completely separate. But we are always included within the drumming cohorts. Because we are a Hastings drumming group. Which is the same as San Blanco. So we will, the only time we ever wear anything different is Jack and the Green. So tomorrow we will all be in green. It starts at the Fisherman's Museum down in the old town. And it winds through beautiful narrow streets. I've seen centuries of fishermen, smugglers and ordinary English folk. Then it climbs up to the West Hill. And there later in the day these gentle folk turn into maniacs. And they slay Jack. They strip away the greenery. And they release the spirit of summer. It's raw. It's ancient. And it feels like the land itself is waking up. Now think about the beautiful history behind all of this. This is England at its most vivid. The same England that built the sink ports of Hastings to guard our shores for 800 years. The England of Chaucer and Shakespeare. Of village greens and harvest festivals. Of maypoles and mummers plays that once filled every corner of this island. Our ancestors didn't just survive here. They sang. They danced. And they marked the seasons with customs that bound them to the soil beneath their feet. These weren't elite pastimes. They were the heartbeat of ordinary working people. Milkmaids. Sweeps. Fishermen. Farmers. This is our shared inheritance woven into the fabric of who we are as people. And yet day after day we watch that beautiful heritage being quietly erased. I was thinking this was quintessentially English. And then suddenly we have the sprinkling of diversity. We have to have... Why? Why is it necessary? Why couldn't we just go with Jack and the Green? Now it has to be LGBT, trans, junkie queen. Why is that necessary? I don't know. Why is that necessary? I've got no issue with the gay, lesbian, bi community. But you already have your own parades. So why does the Jack and the Green need to be gay crashed by bringing sexuality into the equation? Just embrace Mother Nature for once. And Mother Nature is the Jack and the Green. And the eccentricity of all of the English folk dancing. That should be where the focus should be. But then again I'm not the organizer of Jack and the Green. And I haven't been cut into submitting to those that have parades all over the country. 52 weeks of the year. And what does the Jack and the Green festival mean to you? I've been going to the Jack and the Green festival since the early 90s. My mum went to it and I laughed it off as a teenager and went why would you go to that? And then I moved away, came back. And it became part of what I did. I've got three children. And even as babies they were always taken up to Dancing in the Dawn for May Day. And then I've taken them to all. They've all been in the parade as the years went by. Because you can join at the back. If you're dressed in green and you can do it, you can go. And then years later I became a Section 5 drummer. So I've done it ever since as a Section 5 drummer. We have schools all over this wonderful land of ours that barely teach our own history. The media that treats traditional English customs as quaint relics or worse something to be embarrassed about. A rapid cultural change that makes some people feel our own identity is somehow the problem. When you change the character of a place, when the people who live there no longer share the same stories, share the same rhythms or the same love of the old ways. These traditions don't just fade, they completely vanish. The songs stop being sung. The dancers stop being danced. And the green man stops walking the streets. Now in my opinion that's not progress, that's loss. And once it's gone, it's gone for good. And that's why events like Jack in the Green matter so much. They're not just a bit of fun with fancy dress. They reconnect us to our roots, to the rhythm of the seasons, to the land we love. And yes, despite what you hear, I am very left-wing when it comes to nature and the environment. And I always have been. The Jack is literally made of the green itself. He reminds us that Britain's countryside, our hedgerows, our ancient woodlands, our wild places are worth fighting for. Something the corrupt communist Islamist Green Party seem to have forgotten. Preserving our natural heritage and preserving our cultural heritage aren't opposites. They're two sides of the same coin. This island that we live upon has shaped us. And we shape it right back when we keep these customs alive. The end of the festival, the green man is strung up or the green man is burnt? Jack in the Green is slain. So they knock him over and then all the leaves get thrown out. That releases the summer spirit. And then the leaves you hold on to till Halloween. And then you burn them on Halloween night. So for fertility, for good luck and all those fun things. So literally it's continuous with the cycle of the seasons? Yeah, literally, yeah. Jack in the Green is not all about the parade, you see. It's also about just spending time in Hastings town. This is George Street. George Street, one of the main shopping streets in all of Hastings. It's a bit of a festive street on the best of days. Some of the shops are fully loaded with green material. Some sadly have gone the way of Covid and they no longer exist. We've got Alexander's jewellery shop here. Sadly, I failed at my attempt to bring jewellery to the town. But other shops are laden with goods. We have Turn the Tide here. We've got people face painting. We have people playing music. We've got all walks of life here. We've even got the bikers. Some of them walking down the street. But mostly it's the people here to celebrate the changing of the season. The Green man himself. It's just a really fascinating street. All right, some live music going on over here. I'll show you the live music. Some live music. We've even got some pirates over here. Can't go wrong with a few pirates. Oh, sorry. Are you pirates today? Well, normally I just wear my everyday attire. It's your everyday attire, really? It's what I wear every day, yes. Are you a pirate? Is it okay to interview? Yes, of course, no problems at all. So are you a pirate or are you just sort of... I have a love for 18th century and historical clothing. So I will dress in historical wear, basically. When you look at a film and you see what somebody wears and you think, that looks cool. I just try to see if I can make it real. And so I do my best, anyway. I'd say you look fantastic. You're probably the best dressed man on the street. Thank you very much. As is the lovely lady over here, also. Thank you very much. Thank you. Do you go by your own name? My name is Joe. You'll find me... Well, I'm normally wandering around all over the place dressed like this. I've worn this when I've been wandering around in Marrakech. I've worn this wandering around Rome and places like that as well. So you'll find me somewhere in your town wandering around dressed like a pirate. Come say hi, friendly person. Thank you very much, Joe. You're welcome. You've got the christening cross here. You've got the... Yeah, so you've got... So top of the thing is the most precious item I've got. This is my pirate hat. This is just a lady's sun hat. This is a five pound lady's sun hat. Just pin up the sides and then you have a toy coat. So there is no need to invest in expensive hats when you can get a lady's sun hat. I like that. Not at all, not at all. 1740s frock coat. Actually based on the pattern from 1740s. Called a frock coat because you've actually got... So that's why they call it a frock coat for that very reason as well. Then you've got a wool waistcoat. So that's a high collared wool waistcoat as well. Based on a military design from about 1750s, 1760s Napoleonic era military design. Shortened it a little bit. Heightened the collar a little bit than it would be as well. And then a ruffled shirt underneath. And then just a standard ruffled shirt. Then you've got a standard stock which is just a barrel knotted silk cravat. Beautiful. The only new addition is obviously your nose. You've got the green. Yes, we watched Jack in the Green today and I got absolutely coloured. No, they did that to you. You didn't do it to yourself. No, no, no. We were watching it and some people went by with some green paint and I thought, well, why not? Let's get into the spirit of the thing. It means you're blessed. Apparently so, yes, indeed. Fantastic. Thank you very much. You're welcome. I appreciate it. You enjoy the rest of the day. Have a good day. Bye bye. Wow. When you see fellow pirates, it always makes you smile. I like those. I like that. I like the fact that he's able to dress. But you can see like everyone's dressed in green. Everyone's got flowers in their hair. Everyone's, you've got some gothic people. You've got, sadly, there are still, there are homeless people as well, which is sad. You've got this most beautiful places to eat. You've got cigar shops. Cigar shop right over here. Gentlemen smoking their pipes. Dogs having their biscuits. Here we go. Smell a cigar in there. I just want to show you the, this old house in front of us, old pub. Look at this. Now this is obviously pre-1666 because they banned making these after the 16, the Great Fire of London in 1666. It's still overhangs. This is clearly early 17th century and before it was built with the pirate flag. Bit of congestion here. Can't actually get past. There's a green man over here. Let's see. Hello mate. Is it possible for Cameron to like get a couple of words on what today means to you? What it means to me? Yeah. It's the beginning of summer. In theory. It's a good day though to be shirtless. Is it? Ask me that again when we're on top of the West Hill. Are you, and you're heading there? Yeah, we're heading up there now. Yeah. Are you here every year? Yeah, yeah. I live here. Yeah. Have you noticed it gets bigger since the first? I think so. I think it's been getting busier every year. Yeah. Is that a, is that a positive? I thought overall. Yeah. Up to a point. So, I mean, there's only so many people Hastings can take in, but yeah. Would you define yourself as just, you're getting into the mood of singing or actually are you a pagan? I'm a pagan. Yeah. Very much so. And what does that mean the rest of the year? Is it just, this is this significant? No, no. There's all the equinoxes as well and other points in the year where you can celebrate changes of season, things like that. There's all sorts of, like, so Halloween's a classic one. Samhain. Yep. Is another one where you might celebrate and go out as a pagan. Yeah, we do that as well. You basically have all the good festivals, really. Yeah. Well, everybody's stolen from us. There's one thing, if someone has never been here before, what would they expect out of this? Just what should they do to just get in the acts of things? Should they go green themselves? Yeah, definitely get involved. Yeah, get painted. Go to all the pubs. Yeah, pubs. Pubs is a crucial thing about it. Well, it depends how much you like drinking. I mean, we love drinking. So, and I need a beer coat to stay warm on a day like this. Best pub in Hastings? Oh, that's a tough one. I can't answer that one. You're on the spot there. Oh, that's a tough one. There's loads I really like around here. Depends what you're into. I mean, on the route for the Jack and the Green. Yeah. The Jenny and Lynn's probably the best one to go to, but it's the busiest one as well. Trying to get served there's a problem. Yeah, yeah. Very difficult to get served. I guess it was a road crash. Well, thank you very much. I don't want to take up any more of your time. What's your name, by the way? Danny. Thank you very much, Danny. I appreciate that. Thank you. Enjoy the day. Trying to get through the crowd. Sorry. As you can see, a little bit busy. There's people trying to get down. It's a little bit like that time we were trying to move around in Lisbon recently. Do you remember that? Probably. Did I publish that video? I can't remember. Trying not to step on dogs. A few dogs in my feed right now. Bagels. Okay, we've just managed to get past. Just managed to get past. Okay. Skip past the lovely lady here in the green. We've got a live band over here. Let me turn around. We can listen to the live band. I'm in the green, babe. I now have a green nose. There you go. I want to go have a beer with my friends over here. So, I'm going to head on back in this direction. But it's nice I've got a green nose because you see, compared to much places in England, very, very English day out. Predominantly English. There's a few tourists around. But it's predominantly very much a local affair. Lots of really nice people. I've not met a single bad actor sold since being here. But I'm going to pop in here. This is where I got some friends just having a little bit of a drink. But we're going to end it up here. Hopefully, they're still in there. Yes, they are in here. So, we're going to go in here now. How is it? What happened to your nose? I got painted. Now, look around you today. Families are here. Young people, old timers, tourists who've come from all over. The local businesses are thriving. The pubs, the cafes and the craft stores. That's real economic sense as well as cultural sense. Festivals like this bring in the visitors. They support the dying high street. And they keep the solar places like Hastings alive. As a businessman myself, I see it clearly. Investing in our heritage isn't nostalgic. It's smart. It builds community. It builds pride. It builds something that lasts longer than any short-term trend. So, let me ask you this. And please do ponder this. Do you think Savilletown or Bradford will see a Jack on the Green parade this year? Will those streets echo with Morris bells and the laughter of children dancing around the green man? Or have those places already changed so much that our ancient customs have simply been written out of the story? It's a question worth asking because it cuts to the heart of what's at stake. We are a great nation with an incredible story. And that story is worth preserving for our children and our grandchildren. Don't let any scumbag communist tell you otherwise. Hold on to these traditions. Visit them. Support them. Teach your kids the songs and the dances. Because when we forget where we're from, we lose who we are. I just don't know why you took a whole whole new view. Sometimes when you come to book hotels, you run into disasters. This isn't the first time this has happened. And it probably won't be the last time this has happened. Today, I decided to check in to this hotel. Which I booked months ago because I booked it for the Hastings Festival. The Green Man Festival. And it turns out I arrived and they're claiming the company has gone into liquidation. Individual hotel rooms sold to individual investors. And yet the hotel room is out of business. Either way, I'm screwed. And I no longer have a booking. I was on the phone to Agado. Agado hung up on me. Not because I was rude. But because they just couldn't be bothered. So, potentially, I'm out of money for a short period of time. And I'm without a hotel room in the busiest period in Hastings in the entire year. There's no hotel rooms available. So, I'm slightly screwed when it comes to accommodation. So, now I'm going to go and try and find some alternative accommodation. There is a lesson here. Always book on a credit card. And just for your guide, I did get the money back from Agado after too many phone calls. It shouldn't be that way. The bad news is this is the last article I saw on the hotel. Two hours later. And a few pints later outside of Weatherspoons. I secured myself a new hotel room. Absolute nightmare. So, not impressed with Agado. Not happy with Agado. Not happy with the hotel. But what else can you do? This is part of life. It's one of these things. But at least I had a few pints in Weatherspoon while I was sorting out the matter. Staring at my phone annoyingly. Oh well. C'est la vie anyway. It's amazing how little you get for £100 a night in the UK. But it is festival season. £100 I get this room with this amazing view. No coastal view for me. Oh well. C'est la vie. But it's a room because there were no rooms available. Felt a little bit like Mary and Joseph for a second when I couldn't find a room. I was thinking am I going to have to stay in a stable? But I didn't have a pregnant wife. So, thankfully I have something now. So long, it's just a man and a woman. So somehow, we never stand a chance. When I say blues, stay away from me. Although it gives blues, why don't you set me free? I don't know why, this is my home. It's the road blues. Long sad, sad line. I hope you won't be sad, sad, blind. No one told me she would ever be mine. You, stay away from me. You, I hope to see you again. No one told me she would ever be mine. Well, when you can't beat them, you may as well join them and have a beer, eh? Thanks to the bikers for destroying the noise, making the noise. Can't beat them. Cheers to the bikers, cheers to the Green Band, cheers to HV. You can't hear me, can you? Anyway, until next time, keep progressing. There's too many of them.