The Ashdown Forest is an area of outstanding natural beauty, situated some 40 miles (48 km) south of London. It’s here that A.A. Milne’s (the creator of the Winnie the Pooh stories) memorial looks out across one of the most unspoiled areas of land in the United Kingdom.

At 05:30 am this morning (1st May) when most people are still asleep, The Ashdown Forest Morris Men gathered together with their large sticks, ribbons, jangling bells, oversized hankies, ​and baldrics, for music and dance for the annual May Day celebrations.

The origins of Morris dancing is lost in the midst of time, but there are references to Morris reaching back to the fifteenth century. For many, the gestures of the dance are symbolic; the waving of hankies will chase away evil spirits, and the clashing of sticks wakes the earth from its winter slumber. On May Day, for some, being able to see the sunrise symbolizes good fortune, and this is why some celebrations start so early in the day. The Morris is generally associated with bringing good luck and fertility to the land and those who watch its performance.