1996 was actually the first year that Little Egypt celebrated the Horkey. Sadly, many of the early photographs are now lost but, miraculously, this early video footage has survived.
The first selection shows us practising the ceremony of "Hollerin' Largesse" (aka Demanding Money with Menaces, Victorian style), followed by
the Taking of the Harvest Contract, and dancing the Horkey Bough through the village.
Details of this original evocation of the Suffolk Horkey tradition
can be found by following
this link.
The second extract is taken from the same day, October 5, 1996. After dancing near Fair Green, the side went on to perform the essential ritual
known as "Filling the Squire's Pond".
Possibly a first sign of the onset of global warming, it was felt that those drought-ridden days demanded desperate measures.
However, in case any would-be net censors are watching, I must
point out that the event was an evocation, not a reality show, no fluids were spilled in the making of the video, and, however accurate, what you see is just a simulation. OK?
From the pond, it was but a short step to Tye Green, where we performed, among other dances, our own entirely-appropriate rendition of "Speed the Plough".
You can visit these videos at You Tube (and even watch them in "High Quality" format - as if they're not already):