Rose Queen

MOBBERLEY ROSE QUEEN FESTIVAL

How it all began...

Lily Green was a 15 year old telegraph girl at the old Mobberley Post Office on the corner of Mill Lane when she came across a group of girls crying because they couldn't go to the Knutsford May Day. She decided there and then that Mobberley should have its own festival. The children met each week to learn dances with the older children standing around singing. Mothers promised to give them cakes and jellies for the tea. Mrs Hulme from the Post office lent her best rush seated chair for the throne and Mrs Allen of Holt House agreed the loan of the Mission Hall for a fee of 2/6d. The Queen, nine year old Mary Richards, was chosen because her mother would allow her to wear her Sunday best dress and hair bows on a Saturday.

The chosen day, Saturday May 27th 1922, arrived and was warm and sunny. The procession assembled at the Mission Hall on Hall Bank and proceeded along Town Lane, down Smith Lane, along Hobcroft Lane, past the Church and the cricket ground where the players came to the fence and threw money into the collection boxes. The music for the dancing was supplied by Mr Saxon pushing his gramophone in a wheel-barrow. Finally the procession arrived back at Hall Bank where the crowning ceremony, performed by Arthur Mongham, took place before a large crowd of villagers.

The crowd were entertained with dances before a wonderful tea, prepared by Mrs Saxon and Mrs Eyres, was served in the Mission Hall. After tea the procession re-formed and went to New Hall, as Mrs Barclay ahd promised a 10/- note if the children would dance on the lawn for their family and friends. Nearly £6 had been collected and the money was given to Mrs Carver from the Old Hall who had purchased three stone torughs for the War Memorial.

As the Festival had been such a success, a group of ladies from the village, led by Mrs Carver, took over the orgainsation of the event. Lily Green continued to be involved for the next two years taking part in the Morris and Sword dances. Lily continues to be remembered through the Rpse Queen Festival and having a House named after her at Mobberley Primary School.

A newspaper article of June 1972 has a Mrs L. Hatton’s (Lily Green) memories of the first festival:-

“It doesn’t seem fifty years since six schoolgirls met in Barnfields near the old Post Office and decided to have a May Day for the younger children. The Queen was chosen because her mother would let her wear her best dress and hair bows on Saturdays. We met each week and the children learned little dances, with the older children standing round singing. Mothers promised to give cakes and jellies etc. for a tea, and we went to Mrs Allan of Holt House for the loan of the Mission Hall for a fee of 2s.6d. and we had to leave it in the same clean condition in which we had found it.

At last the great day arrived and we started from Hall Bank, through Town Lane, Smith Lane to Hobcroft Lane near Rathlin. We met the Rev. G.C. Dicker, who hoped we had all learnt the Collect for the next day, but who could think of Collects when your head was full of fun and bun tea!

On we went past the cricket field and the players came to the fence and threw money to us. At last, back to Hall Bank, with the crowning and dancing and a wonderful tea. Later we all reformed and went to the New Hall and danced for the Barclay family. We had collected £5 and the money was handed over to Mrs Carver of the Old Hall who purchased three stone troughs for the War Memorial.

We remember all the old friends who helped us to have such a happy day. Mr Eyres and Percy Smith who carried all the water for the tea from Spout Lane; Mrs Saxon and Mrs Eyres who made that lovely tea; Mr Saxon who wheeled his gramophone in a barrow from Town Lane;Mrs Hulme from the Post office who lent her best rush seated armchair for the throne; Mr Billy Jackson who sent the first account to the Knutsford Guardian, and Mr Hunt, our policeman, who said we must not beg again without a permit from him.

There were many more friends in the village who helped. It’s nice to look back now and see such a great day from little beginnings.”

In 1960 when the festival was restarted (see article below) the event took place on the Victory Hall field where it stayed until 1973 when it moved to the Old Hall courtesy of Mrs Wilkinson who became President.
In 2003 Mrs Wilkinson was tragically killed and the Old Hall was sold forcing the Rose Queen Festival to find another new home and in 2004 the event moved almost full circle to the Hall Bank Playing Field

The first Rose Queen in 1922 - Mary Richards and Crown Bearer Arthur Monghan. The attendants were Annie Taylor, Mary Pennington, Violet Saxon, Hope Turner