Contrary Life

Contrary Life is a website covering quirky events across the UK.

  • Home
  • About
  • Events by region
    • North East
    • North West
    • Yorkshire
    • East Midlands
    • West Midlands
    • East
    • London
    • South East
    • South West
    • Scotland
    • Northern Ireland
    • Wales
Home > Dance > The election of The Mayor of Ock Street

The election of The Mayor of Ock Street

By Caroline King - June 14, 2012Posted in : Dance, Heritage

When: 16th June 2012

Where: Ock Street, Abingdon, Oxfordshire

£: Free

What is it?

The Mayor of Ock Street is an annual local event where a mayor is elected each year by the residents of Ock Street.  Traditionally this quirky custom coincided with the day of the annual horse fair but these days it’s held on the nearest Saturday to June 19th.  These mock mayors were once a widespread British custom but now there are only a handful in areas such as Oxfordshire and Cornwall carrying on the tradition.  The mock mayor is meant to be a parody of the actual civic mayor.

The Ock Street election is organised by the Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers and is used as an excuse for inviting other Morris sides to Abingdon and having a day-long festival of dance.  Residents of Ock Street all have the right to vote, and the election count takes place, rather handily, in the Brewery Tap at 4pm.  The Mayor, is then paraded along Ock Street and spends the next year as squire of the Morris side.  The dancing and festivities usually continue well into the evening.

More info: www.abingdonmorris.org.uk and www.visitoxfordandoxfordshire.com.

Related Posts

  • Curious college traditions at the Needle & Thread Gaudy
  • Put down the Angry Birds and watch the Swan Upping 2013

Tagged With: Free events, Oxfordshire events, South East, The Mayor of Ock Street

Curiosity of the Week

The quirky wonders of Wigtown
Martyr's Stake in Wigtown

The annual Wigtown Book Festival opens this week. So, we thought it was a good time to take a look at this quirky Scottish town for our latest Curiosity of the Week…

Top Story

Solo cinema and scientific sounds at Flatpack Festival
Flatpack Festival 2022, Design by Keith Dodds and Illustration by Jacques Kleynhans

Flatpack Festival brings an eclectic mix of shows, screenings and activities that surprise and delight audiences to venues across Birmingham…

What are you looking for today?

  • Alternative Sport
  • Art
  • Cabaret and Circus
  • Cinema
  • Classes, Workshops & Talks
  • Club Night
  • Comedy
  • Dance
  • Exhibitions and Installations
  • Fairs and Markets
  • Festival
  • Food & Drink
  • Heritage and History
  • Interview
  • Literature
  • Museum
  • Music
  • Nature and Outdoors
  • Review
  • Science and Technology
  • Theatre
  • Walks and Tours

Sign up to our Newsletter

Copyright © 2022 · Contrary Life