European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 17, 1965, Darmstadt, Hesse Stripes daily Magazine marbles and hares egg on us easter floors and Lovely Lasset liven up easter Parade in London s Battersea Park. By John Krueger is London Bureau rolling eggs May gather no mos sat easter time but neither do bottles Hare pie and marbles As britons have been demonstrating Over the Cen Turies in their Many and varied Cus Toms for this tune of year. A late Comer to the scene is Tandon s annual easter Parade. It s held on the afternoon of the bin Day in Bat Larsea Park with bands floats and Beautiful girls participating. The Hare pie scrambling and bottle kicking liven up proceedings at Olalla ton Leicestershire on easter monday. According to legend a local Wom Tui was saved centuries ago. Nom an at tacking Bull when a Hure hopped across the Field and distracted inc Bull s at Tention. In gratitude he woman left a piece of land to the Village Rector on Condi Tion that he and his successors distribute Hare Pic and ale to the Puri showers once a year. Hares in the neighbourhood could be forgiven it would teem for question ing this line of reasoning. Would t it be More appropriate they might ask if since the Hare was the hero and the Bull the villain to distribute a Steak pie and Lay off the helpful hares Well it would appear to be too late to do anything about it now since on easter monday there s a procession headed by a brass bund to a Little Hill known us Hare pie Bank. There pieces of two giant Hare pics Are tossed to youngsters who scramble to snare their share. After this divert semen two teams Are Farmed for bottle kicking. Actually a bottle is no longer used. It has been replaced by an ale cask. But the con tents arc the same and the teams drink up after the game. Ale Swilling is also part of the ritual of the world Marble championship held on Good Friday at Tinsley Green Sussex. American service teams the Tui slip rut pack and the Iro Sicnor gobs have competed in the past against Iho chem pin Telson terrible a and other Sulci awesome teams As the Bull dogs tires spitfires bullets artful Alberts and rebels. The tournament has 400-year his tory. It is said to have started As a form of reenactment of the roman sol Diers rolling Dice for Possession of the crucified Christ s cloak. On Maundy thursday the Queen traditionally distributes Royal Maundy coins to needy old Folk. This year the rite will be held at Canterbury Cathe dral. Queen Elizabeth who Lim Dis tributes coins to one person for each year of her age. On Good Friday in London at the Church of St. Bartholomew the great poor Parish widows receive a Silver six Pence and a hot Cross Bun each in memory of the Charity s unknown founder. The anonymity resulted it has been explained because All Church records were destroyed in the great fire of 16m. At la Allfeld Sussex a Good Friday Dole of Silver coins is also distributed to needy pensioners thanks to the terms of the will of one Nicholas Smith who had once been a tramp but who found wealth and happiness in Hatfield. Village needy at Biddenden Kent receive two four Pound loaves of bread and a Pound of cheese apiece on easter monday. This custom dates Back 800 Yean to the Tome of the Biddenden siamese twins. They left 20 acres for the better ment of the Village poor. Revenue from this land still provides for the easter Charity. Visitors can obtain a souvenir in tin form of a biscuit or Small cake which carries an imprint representing the two Susie a and the Date when their easter monday custom began. The twins Ara also pictured in a Village signpost. Other easter events in Britain in clude the easter Donn it Parade and fancy Waistcoat Competition at Moro Cumbe Lancashire and the annual egg rolling. Preston. Lancashire. And. Of course there Are always the traditional hot Cross buns one a Penny two a Penny which were first sup posed to have been baked 600 years ago by monks at St. Albans. Edit end Pushcart vendors break out Pearly eos Lumen for Paradt. Saturday april 17, 1965 the stars and stripes 11
