Remembering May Day: from dancing around poles to demonstrations

Traditions often include gathering wildflowers and green branches, weaving floral garlands, crowning a May Queen - sometimes with a male companion - and setting up a maypole, may tree or may bush, around which people dance. Bonfires are also part of the festival in some regions.
The early May bank holiday on the first Monday in May was created in 1978; May Day itself is not a public holiday in England unless it falls on a Monday.
For more than 40 years, a May Day Carnival has been organised by the Penrith Lions Club. Festivities include a grand parade of vehicles, the crowning of the May Queen, music, sports competitions, children’s entertainment and more.
This year’s event takes place in Penrith Town Centre on Monday, May 6.
Our main picture shows a classic scene of villagers in Melmerby dancing around a maypole in 2010. It is taken from a book, A Year in the Life of the Eden Valley by Val Corbett.

Above is a well-known face, rockstar Pete Doherty, who performed for May Day marchers in Trafalgar Square in 2005 to drive home an anti-racist message ahead of a general election.

Another protester, who looks menacing with his Mohican, is shown at a similar event in London in 2003, while a May Day rally in Istanbul saw a demonstrator throwing stones at riot police.
The remaining images show the lighter side of May Day at the Penrith carnival.

Pictured following the event in 2005 is a cheque presentation of the £2,760 raised for the Jigsaw Appeal, along with £1,230 raised by Costas Tapas Bar by cooking a giant paella. The cheques were presented to Lord Lieutenant of Dumfries Fiona Armstrong outside Costas.

Also captured are members of the 2nd Penrith Beaver Scouts soaking spectators from their Viking float, a Venice-inspired float by Penrith Conservative Club and carnivalgoers including South African visitors.

The final picture shows May Queen Jennifer Bradbury, 12, with attendants Kimberley Wilcox, Jenna Lockley and Emma Short.