Glorious weather brought out the crowds for Wath Festival
WATH Festival may be a source of entertainment, but it has also become part of the town’s living history - with the annual bread throwing event to acknowledge one of its most famous sons.
While beautiful Spring weather may have helped, a huge crowd gathered to mark the occasion - a highlight of the festival - and see bread rolls thrown from the tower of the parish church.
The custom originated with death of Thomas Tuke, who died in the early 19th Century, leaving a bequest in his will to pay for bread to be distributed among the need on St Thomas’s Day in December.
The practice was revived for the festival, which itself has now been a fixture of the town’s entertainment calendar for more than half a century, with a date switch to May.
This year’s event featured a customary package of attractions over three days, with local schools and other groups helping to entertain the crowds in the centre of Wath on Saturday.
Among the most eye, and ear, catching performances was from Barnsley’s Frumptarn Guggenband, with several Morris teams, North Academy of Performing Arts, Cast Academy and Sherlock Productions among those providing entertainment.
Organisers said the performers made it “a wonderful and memorable time”.
Among the familiar faces who attended was local MP John Healey, who took time away from his Government role overseeing military strategy to test his mental dexterity with a game of chess.
The festival has its roots in music, and a series of performers appeared in shows at the Holiday Inn Express in Manvers.