| Where: | Middleton, Greater Manchester starting at the Dusty Miller and ending at the Ring o'Bells in St Leonards Square (and formerly Mossley, Greater Manchester starting at the Rising Sun Inn, 235 Stockport Road) |
| When: | Easter Monday |
| Time: | At intervals from 12 noon |
Pace Egging Plays are traditional mumming plays with their own unique character and are performed during Eastertide, mainly in the north-western corner of England. They are typically hero-combat plays with fight scenes and the revival of one protagonist by a doctor but also have some unique songs and characters like Tosspot who don’t appear anywhere else. The name comes from the players or their attendants in past years begging for eggs for the Easter season. Two well known and well established examples are at Mossley (now lapsed) and Middleton, and other groups also perform on Easter Monday and on Good Friday (see article on Calder Valley Pace Egg plays). Two very different styles of Doctor can be seen on the photos, and the Mossley group had a unique figure in the form of the Black Knight of Ashton, a local bogeyman, while Middleton have a horse! Middleton’s last performance of the day is usually outside (but not in wet 2012!) followed by Easter Egg rolling for the children.
Helpful Hints
In 2027 Middleton should be on Monday 29th March followed by egg rolling on the church hill (full new schedules are published near the due date). 2026 schedule:
12 noon The Dusty Miller (aka The Edgar Wood,12.30 The Old Roebuck, 1.00 The Britannia Inn, 1.30 Harbord Harbord (Wetherspoons), 2.00 The New Inn, 2.30 Ye Olde Boar’s Head (in the garden)3.00 The Ring O’ Bells (Outside)Followed by Egg Rolling on the hill beside the Parish Church of St Leonard (bring your decorated hard-boiled eggs and try to win a prize!
Check the Middleton website link for the full timetable and venue details as they are subject to change at short notice. Middleton Pace Eggers perform from noon onwards, also at several pubs, ending usually at 3.30 approx at the Ring o’ Bells. My camera had a blip whilst at Middleton, otherwise I’d have taken more photos- obviously I’ll need to go back…
Mossley Morris Men now no longer perform- they usually used to put on their play at 3/4 hour intervals throughout the day at several pubs.
Click here for Middleton : https://www.all-things-considered.org/middleton-pace-egg-play?fbclid=IwY2xjawINgRJleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHTwpMxfuQCKWYBGcdEKld8JWabQVEaAPVFh4C-zubDiNaeblUQ-hymwOew_aem_znfSBf8IfuN8gGP-nrtcTA
and here for the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Middleton-Pace-Egg-Play-502663033177579/
The Mossley play I’ve just been informed clashes with a football match on TV and has been rescheduled for some time near St George’s Day in 2013. Thought you may wish to know.
Thanks again Ross!Wouldn’t you have thought the football could have moved instead, lol:)I’ve put it on the site.