Whit Walks

"W" is for "Whit Walks" and today's photos show scene's from Ashton's Whit Walks, which took place on Sunday afternoon.

Members of churches from different parts of Ashton process to the town centre, each accompanied by a band. The churches assemble for a united service of witness. Then all the churches walk together around the town centre before splitting and and returning to their starting points.

Other townsfolk turn out to watch the walk and listen to the bands. It is not at all a solemn religious procession - it is a very jolly affair, with the bands playing bright marches and people waving and calling out to other people they know.

In the past, when money was even more scarce than it is now, Whitsun may have been the only time in the year when people got to wear new clothes. This custom actually did have a religious origin, as Whitsun celebrates the time when the Apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit, went out and recruited the first Christians. The new clothes are symbolic of starting a new life.

This year, for a change, Ashton's Whit Walks once again took place on the traditional date of the Sunday after Whit Sunday - but only because that coincided this year with the third Sunday of June, which is now the fixed date for the walks. Nearby Mossley and Saddleworth still have their Whit Walks on the traditional Whit Friday, as reported here yesterday.


Above: Walkers from St Gabriel's Church, Cockbrook. Below: Dobcross Band


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"Whit Walks" is a contribution to ABC Wednesday. For more "W" posts from around the world please follow this link.
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Whit Walks

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"W" is for "Whit Walks" and today's photo shows a scene from Sunday's What Walk in Ashton. Another photo of the Walks was shown here on Sunday.

The period around Whit Sunday, the seventh Sunday after Easter, is known as Whitsuntide. One of the traditions in the area around Manchester is the practice of "Whit Walks".

Historically, Ashton's Walks were originally on Whit Friday, the Friday after Whit Sunday, but then moved to the following Sunday (Trinity Sunday). In recent years the event has moved to the fixed time of the third Sunday of June.

Most of the churches in Ashton take part in the Whit Walks. A Procession from each church, accompanied by a band, makes its way to the centre of Ashton, where a united service is held.

The church groups then process along a route around the town centre before walking back to their own starting points.

One of the traditions of the Whit Walks is for those taking part to wear new clothes for the occasion. In harder times this was something to look forward to as children would rarely get new clothes, more often receiving handed-down clothes from older siblings or relations.

The origin of wearing new clothes would seem to be based in the practice at one time of newly baptised members being received into the church at Whitsun (being a celebration of the birth of the Christian Church at Pentecost). The new clothes, often white, were symbolic of a new start.

Another custom, still in practice, is for people watching the walk from the pavement to look out for people they know taking part in the walk and to run forward and give them money.

Today's photo shows the walkers from Christ Church making their way along Stamford Street. For anyone who is interested, more photos of Sunday's event can be seen here:
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"Whit Walks" is a contribution to ABC Wednesday. For more "V" posts from around the world please follow this link.

Whit Walks in Ashton

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The third Sunday in June is the date of the belated Whit Walks in Ashton. This tradition is of an annual walk of witness by members of churches from around the town, who mean for a united service then process around the town centre to the accompaniment of brass bands.

(Whit Walks in nearby Mossley and Saddleworth take place on Whit Friday, as seen here.)

More photos of today's event can be seen here:
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Whit Friday in Saddleworth

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Today is Whit Friday and the day of the traditional Whit Walks and Band Contests in Mossley and Saddleworth.

Processions from the various churches in Saddleworth converge on Uppermill for a service of witness followed by a united walk through the village.

This photo shows the contingent from Holy Trinity Church, Dobcross, led by Dobcross Band.

In the evening brass band competitions take place in many of the Saddleworth villages, as well as in Mossley, Stalybridge, Ashton and other places.

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2009 Whit Walks

Today, being the third Sunday of June, saw Ashton's united Walk of Witness, usually called the Whit Walks. The threat of drizzle that was forecast proved incorrect and it was dry and at times sunny during the afternoon.

Contingents from most of Ashton's churches converged on Cowhill Lane to take part in a united service. After that it was St Michael's and St Gabriel's turn to lead the united walk around the town.

The route took them up Penny Meadow, down Old Cross Street, along Stamford Street and Booth Street, after which each church went its separate way back to its own parish.

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More photos from this year's Whit Walks can be seen here on the Ashton website.

Saturday in Saddleworth - Whit Walks

Yesterday was Whit Friday and in Saddleworth that means Whit Walks and Band contests!

Whit Walks, in one form or another, were fairly common in many areas but have now died out in some places and in other places are much smaller affairs than they once were. In Saddleworth and Mossley, however, not only are the Whit Walks still a big thing, but they still take place on Whit Friday.

Traditionally schools and factories in the area close for the day. Some high school pupils still have to go in to take GCSE exams, though!

Saddleworth is an area made up of a number of individual villages and the churchgoers walk in procession from their own church down into the centre of Uppermill for a joint service of witness in the park. They then all process through the centre of Uppermill before continuing back to their own villages. The main A670 road through Uppermill is closed for several hours while all this is going on.

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More Walk Pictures

More pictures from yesterday's Walk of Witness in Ashton. These two photos were taken in Stamford Street.
Several people commented to me that at one time you had to fight to get a place at the front of the crowd to get a good view of the Walk. Former Ashtonians seeing these pictures might feel like crying at the small number of spectators gathered on Stamford Street. Someone else remarked to me that there were more people walking than watching and this was undoubtedly true, even though there were fewer walkers than there would have been a few years ago.
I suspect that, as a result of the Walk moving away from the traditional Whit period, many people not involved with one of the churches no longer know when they take place.
However, at least Ashton still has its Walk, unlike a number of other places!

Walk of Witness

The Ashton churches' united walk of witness now takes place on the third Sunday in June, rather than on Trinity Sunday (the Sunday following Whit Sunday). Therefore we can't really call it a "Whit Walk" any more!

In the photo above, Mossley Hollins High School Band walks with the contingent from Charlestown Mission.

Below is a view of some of the crowds at the united service that took place at Cowhill Lane.