Leyland's Own May Queen.
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In these days of demolition and reconstruction there are not a few of us who welcome any evidence of the retention of old customs and festivities which have for centuries remained as typical of our, race. Few manufacturing concerns, operating as they do in these days amidst a welter of mechanism and industrial activity, can have recently experienced the sensation of witnessing a full-blown May Day procession complete with Morris Dancers, May Queen, and all the other eccentric but picturesque paraphernalia properly belonging to this old English method of welcoming the slimmer.
The small town of Leyland was recently, in glorious weather, beflagged and en fete with just such a reminder of countryside revelry, and past the great factories in that little town which is occupied by such wellknown concerns as Leyland Motors, Wood-Milne, Leyland and Birmingham Rubber Co. and other works but little less known, a long procession of decorated townspeople headed by quaintly-dressed Morris Dancers performing all the unfamiliar antics of their craft, dozens of float loads of local children brave in the finery of white frocks, ribbons and flowers, and bands composed largely of workmen from the faetories, wended its way to the May festival field where an old-fashioned and lengthy programme of May Day sports and games including a version of the
original Maypole Dance, was carried Out.
Although it was not found possible to release the whole staffs of the principal factories owing to the exceptional pressure reigning there at the present time, there were numbers ef employees who secured special permission to take more or less prominent 'carts in the ceremonial. Prominent in the long column of decorated vehicles were two fine examples of Leyland vehicles which the company had loaned to the committee, and which were loaded for this special : journey with dozens of tiny children happily and comfortably spared the long tramp as part of the procession.
The Leyland motor factory took a special pride in this local celebration this year because the May Queen for this first peace year is a junior member of the general °tee staff of the company.