WONDERFUL MAY
Marvellous May ! Wonderful May! May the month of queens,
With her glorious warm weather and many magnificent scenes
That come as flowering trees bloom giving us sheer delight,
And the multi-coloured gardens, each one a glorious sight.
Years ago there were May Queens, the prettiest girls around,
Contested for our county hoping from our area she’d be found,
To represent the county and the big fancy yearly posh affair,
Every church going girl all around wanted to be able to go there.
From twelve and sixteen, May Queens were searched for everywhere,
The really pretty girls always looked their best especially with long hair,
One year St Paul’s, my church, had the most loveliest girl of them all,
Everyone in the parish thought so, we could not loose this year at all.
I was in the retinue, with a lilac dress and long gloves to match,
We all had wild flowers, that blended well and did not clash,
Our float in our area was by far the most lovely and the best,
We won that round, but now came the big May Queen test.
North and South Staffordshire, which one will win the great prize,
Just two May Queens with retinues, both of equal beauty and size,
Jane wore her mother’s wedding dress, it was trimmed with flowers,
We all helped to sew them on all over, the task took many long hours,
South Staffordshire, her dress took your breath away, rich as could be,
Shot silk that glowed in the sun, and looked like the waves of the sea,
Both girls were lovely, and the judges had such a hard time to choose,
We were at the semi-finals, and there was, to us, a great deal to loose.
Wonderful May! Glorious May, the year we went to the big festival,
And of the day at the county show many tales we could all tell,
Yes we won but the weather played a great big part you have to see,
It started to rain and the shot sild dress looked as ugly as can be.
We were all in cheaper material that did not mind the rain
And all our drooping wild flowers picked up perky once again.
We were all treated like royalty we did not pay for a single thing,
And the county fair that day with sweet joy our voices did ring.
(Millicent) Ann Margetson 13 May 2004