UNITED KINGDOM: LOCALS IN TOWN OF OTTERY ST MARY TAKE PART IN ANNUAL TAR BARREL ROLLING CARNIVAL

Record ID: 337705

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: LOCALS IN TOWN OF OTTERY ST MARY TAKE PART IN ANNUAL TAR BARREL ROLLING CARNIVAL
  • Date: 5th November 1997
  • Summary: OTTERY ST MARY, DEVON, UNITED KINGDOM (NOVEMBER 5, 1997) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. VARIOUS OF TOWN (3 SHOTS) 0.15 2. WS CANNONS FIRING 0.23 3. VARIOUS KIDS WITH BURNING BARRELS (7 SHOTS) 1.15 4. SLV LADY MAYORESS LIGHTING BONFIRE 1.24 5. LAS CHILDREN LOOKING ON 1.29 6. WIDE SHOT OF FIRE 1.36 7. SLV 'GUY FAWKES' ON TOP OF BONFIRE 1.42 8. SV GIRLS WITH SPARKLERS 1.44 9. SLV MAN PICKING UP BURNING BARREL 1.54 10. HAS BURNING BARREL BEING CARRIED THROUGH THE STREET 1.58 11. TRACK BARREL BEING DROPPED 2.11 12. SLV PEOPLE WATCHING FROM WINDOW 2.15 13. TRACK PEOPLE CARRYING BARRELS 2.24 14. SCU IT'S NOT DANGEROUS - IT'S FUN - IT'S EXHILARATING. YOU GET ALL THESE DANGEROUS SPORTS LIKE BUNGEE JUMPING AND THAT AND WE JUST GET TAR BARREL ROLLING. (ENGLISH) 2.33 15. SV SIGN SAYING 'WARNING - FLAMING TAR BARRELS 2.38 16. WS BURNING BARREL BEING CARRIED THROUGH MAIN SQUARE 3.00 17. TRACK WOMAN CARRYING BARREL 3.08 18. SCU/TRACK WOMAN SAYING THE THING IS YOU ARE MUCH SAFER UNDER NEATH IT THAN YOU ARE RUNNING AROUND AWAY FROM IT. WE KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING - WE ARE IN CONTROL. (ENGLISH) 3.24 19. TRACK BARREL BEING CARRIED THROUGH SQUARE 3.40 Initials S3,P3 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 20th November 1997 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: OTTERY SAINT MARY, DEVON, UNITED KINGDOM
  • City:
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Reuters ID: LVA1ZBD9OCX1UOMFRXE57O9GGH2P
  • Story Text: INTRO: For most of the time Ottery St Mary is a sleeply English town but once a year the locals take it upon themselves to carry barrels of burning tar on their backs through the streets.

    Its all part of a traditional carnival dating back to medieval time.

    Carnival day is the most important day of the year to the 7,000 inhabitants of Ottery Saint Mary. Normally a quite place, on the annual November 5 carnival the streets are filled with fire.

    The day starts with a bang with the firing of the 'cannons'.

    The 'cannons' dating back to the 1850's are hand held, and look like a pieces of bent pipe.

    Then the barrel rolling gets underway. The barrels are not actually rolled but carried on the shoulders.

    Children as young as seven grab the tubs of burning tar, learning the techniques that have been handed down through the generations.

    Nobody seems to know how the tradition started. One view is that it began as a way to fumigate the town. Others believe it was to warn off evil spirits.

    As evening draws on the Lady Mayoress lights a bonfire to mark the day Guy Fawkes attempted to blow up the British Houses of Parliment in the 17th century.

    Fueled by the strong local cider drink and the enthusiasm of the crowd, the residents run through the streets with the tar barrels.

    The barrel rollers jealously guard their right to carry the flaming barrels. Only those born or brought up in Ottery Saint Mary can take part in the event.

    Over a twelve month period, barrels are selected and their internal surface coated with coal tar and then stuffed with straw and paper. By the time they are ready to burn they can weigh anything up to 150kgs.

    Attempts to stop the practice has always ended in failure.

    Local police tried to interfere in the 19th century and were thrown into the river as a result.

    In spite of the apparent danger there have been no serious injuries in the history of the carnival.


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