THESE boys and girls from the Haworth Central Board schools performed maypole dances during Haworth’s first annual demonstration and gala on the West Lane football field in June, 1899.
Promoted by local friendly societies and the Tradesmen’s Association, this raised more than £120 towards the funds of the Haworth and Oxenhope District Nurses’ Association, which was formed in 1897.
Such innocent exhibitions were not universally approved of at a time when the Haworth School Board had recently censured the headteacher of the Horkingstone Evening School for teaching dancing.
At least one member of the School Board prided himself for being “a conscientious objector to dancing”, presumably on account of its inherent physical contact between the sexes.
Fortunately, however, the chairman recognised “there was all the difference in the world between allowing dancing for young men and women and granting maypole dancing for children”, and common sense prevailed.
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