The Carshalton Straw Jack

The Straw Jack is a harvest celebration being held today (first Saturday in September) at Carshalton in Surrey. The 'Jack' is made from the last straw in the harvest and it perambulates around the town (especially the local pubs) accompanied by drummers and musicians. Tree hugging takes place on the stretch of walk before arrival at The Hope pub on West Street. 

Other characters such as The Sweepers, The Squire, The Rat Catcher, The Scarecrow, The Reaper Man, The Corn Dollies, and The Cider Man follow along the boozy route and, if you’re lucky, you might get a piece of the Jack to take home as a souvenir. 

In the past, during the evening, the Jack was dismantled, bundles of straw were handed around the crowd, and everyone took turns to burn their bundle in a brazier in the beer garden at The Hope, but this no longer takes place due to limited space and safety concerns.

The Jack itself is around 10 feet  tall and consists of a wooden frame covered in straw and decorated with flowers. 

Photos: Wikimedia Commons 

The Carshalton Straw Jack is not a particularly old tradition - it only goes back to the late 20th century - but it does resonate with older times when celebration of the harvest, and the passing of Summer into Autumn, was marked by festivals all over the UK.

I, for one, am delighted to see it continue.