Final preparations for Clun Green Man Festival
With the weather turning decidedly more wintery again this week, a festival's 'Ice Queen' has been relaxing in a town pub.
Clun's two-day Green Man Festival kicks off tomorrow, and will see the spring deity battle his nemeses the Ice Queen on Clun Bridge on Monday as per tradition.
But he may have his work cut out this year as a video of the 'Ice Queen' casually sipping a cool drink – with ice, naturally – in Clun's White Horse pub, has been doing the rounds on social media.
Jack Limond, landlord of the White Horse who also organises the May Bank Holiday festival, said: "With the weather over the last few days, with hail and God-knows-what, the Green Man could be cowering somewhere.
"We made a video of the Ice Queen in the pub to promote the festival and people seem to like it, it's had about 3,000 views last time I checked.
"We're still in the final stages of doing stuff for the festival, we've got a good programme but I'm still organising steward and who is going to do what.
"The format is always similar but slightly different to keep people interested."
The festivities kick off tomorrow from noon. Returning will be regular Green Man stalwarts Jockey Morris dance group and the Clun Mummers theatre group, as well as the Animal Man from Corner Exotics.
New for this year will be street entertainer Ian Marchant, and folk and country band Two Faced Tom & The Bootleg Boys, with more music in the evening from the Rhythm Thieves at The White Horse from 9pm.
During the day there will also be a performance from medieval historical group The Plantagenets on the streets of Clun, with the Green Man and Ice Queen limbering up for their face off the following day.
Monday will start with entertainment in the square from 11am before the traditional battle between the two mythical characters on Clun Bridge at noon.
After that there will be a craft fair on the green from 1pm with live music from Hi-Jinx, maypole dancing, a circus workshop, garlands, face painting, duck racing, a beer tent and other refreshments.
There will also be a 'dance off' through the afternoon in the square, between Morris teams The Shropshire Bedlams and Martha Rhoden's Tuppeny Dish from south west Shropshire, and The Ironmen and Severn Gilders from the Telford area.
Bishops Castle Bang On Samba Band will also be performing on the bridge on Monday and various characters in fancy dress will be mingling with the crowds.
