As she’d promised when we got back on the coach, Mum told us a couple more things about Padstow as we headed back towards Newquay, starting with the story of the Doom Bar.
I thought that sounded a bit scary, but Mum said it was the name given to a sand bar which has been forming across the Camel estuary near its opening into the sea since the early 16th century. Up to that time it had been relatively easy for sailing ships to reach the safety of Padstow harbour in bad weather. But this changed once the sandbar appeared – and was made worse as its position could quickly change with the currents or after a storm.
Over the centuries after it first appeared, many ships were wrecked on the sand bar and lives were lost, earning it the name of Doom Bar, instead of its original name which was Dunbar.
By the beginning of the 20th century it was threatening to spread right across the estuary and completely block access to the harbour at Padstow which is about 1 mile/1.5 kms upstream. To prevent this, a new channel was dredged out and many thousand ton/tonnes of sand were removed. Although this kept access to Padstow open, however, bad weather could still occasionally force ships onto the Doom Bar.
Now Mum said that sand bars are natural phenomena, caused by a combination of the shape of the land, the local currents and the wind allowing sand to be moved from one place to another. But Doom Bar is special as several legends have grown up to explain its origins – and they all involve a mermaid!
One says that a young man fell in love with her when he saw her sitting on a rock, combing her hair, and was so angry when he realised she was a mermaid that he shot her out of spite. Another says that a young man was out hunting and, thinking she was a seal, he shot her – and a third one says she was shot accidentally by a young man trying out his new gun.
But all the legends agree that the mermaid swam out to sea to die and, as she left the estuary, she turned back and put a curse on the town of Padstow. Picking up a handful of sand and throwing it upstream, she wished that the estuary would silt up and the town would be ruined as a result. During that night a great storm blew up and by next morning the Doom Bar had appeared…
In 1969, however, the poet John Betjeman put a different spin on the story, by having the mermaid fall in love with the man, who didn’t return her feelings. She tried to lure him under the waves and the only way he could escape was by shooting her. But the result was still the same as she cursed the area and caused the Doom Bar to appear.
With that, Mum finished telling us about the mermaid, but – if you remember – she said she’d two stories about Padstow to tell us while we were going back to Newquay on the coach and it didn’t take her long to start on the second one.
This was completely different, however, and was about a real event that takes place in Padstow on May 1stevery year. It’s called the ‘Obby ‘Oss (or Hobby Horse) festival and involves two separate processions, each led by its own ’Obby ‘Oss, making their way around the town on two different routes, until they’ve each visited every part of the town, after which they meet up at the May Pole and the two ‘Osses dance round it.
Originally there was just one ‘Oss and his stable was at the Golden Lion and his procession involved a lot of drinking in the pubs around the town.
In the years immediately before World War I, however, the Temperance Movement was growing in strength and trying to discourage people from drinking alcohol and they decided to set up their own procession with no alcohol allowed. They also had their own ‘Oss who was nicknamed The Methodist ‘Oss as most of his followers were chapel-goers.
But after World War I the Temperance Movement lost a lot of its popularity and the former Methodist ‘Oss was renamed The Blue Ribbon ‘Oss, while the original ‘Oss became known as The Old ‘Oss.
The festival starts at midnight between April 30th and May 1st with the singing of The Night Song, specially written for the occasion. Then overnight the town is decorated with flowers and flags and the May Pole is erected, ready for the ‘Obby ‘Osses to start making their way around the crowded streets of the town.
Each ‘Oss is followed by a group of men, known as Teasers, who keep prodding the ‘Oss to keep it moving and also help it try to catch “young maidens” as it goes around the town. And behind them come the musicians – mainly accordion players and drummers – playing another specially written song, known as The Day Song.
People in the procession dance along to this tune. Its tempo varies, however. Sometimes it slows right down until it sounds like a funeral dirge – at which point the ‘Oss falls to the floor as if he is dead. Then, when the tempo picks up again, he is revived and gets back on his feet and continues his procession around the town, until both processions finally meet up at the May Pole and the two ‘Osses dance around it together.
After that they each go back to their own stable until it’s time for them to come out and show themselves again on the following May Day…
And, by the time Mum had told us all that, we were nearly back in Newquay and, though it had just started to rain again, we were sure we’d find things to do without getting too wet. I’m running out of space now, however, so I’ll have to tell you more about that later. Meanwhile, take care and stay safe – and look out for more from me soon!
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29/03/24
Wilf the bear-faced blogger 