{"id":1324,"date":"2025-08-28T09:51:27","date_gmt":"2025-08-28T08:51:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hamiltonsremovals.co.uk\/news\/?p=1324"},"modified":"2025-09-22T09:54:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T08:54:09","slug":"unusual-customs-in-english-counties","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hamiltonsremovals.co.uk\/news\/unusual-customs-in-english-counties\/","title":{"rendered":"Unusual Customs in English Counties"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"National<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This article explores some of the more unusual customs and traditions found across different English counties\u2014such as Kent\u2019s Sweeps Festival, Hampshire\u2019s Shick-Shack Day and Tichborne Dole, and Buckinghamshire\u2019s ceremonial mayor-weighing. While these customs may surprise new residents, they add colour to the local culture and heritage.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The article, written by Hamiltons Removals, a national removal company, also includes links to their UK-wide removals services for homes and businesses.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article is a three-minute read.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are plenty of customs and traditions you may be expected to follow \u2013 or at least be aware of \u2013 should you ever decide to move overseas. However, there are plenty of unusual events across the UK too. Here, Hamiltons Removals, a national removal company based on the Norfolk\/Suffolk border, share a few of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UK Removals with Hamiltons Removals<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hamiltons Removals can help with moves to all parts of the UK, including Scotland, Wales, and our home counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. For more information about our domestic removals service for homes and businesses, follow this link<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kent<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While many villages celebrate May Day with dancing around the maypole, in Kent, and particularly Rochester and Whitstable, it is young chimney sweeps who take centre stage. This is because, historically, they only got one day off a year \u2013 May 1 \u2013 and used to parade through the town to celebrate it. The practice of such youthful employment has long gone, but the parade (known as the Sweeps Festival, pictured) continues along with plenty of other musical events, particularly folk music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if you are considering removals to Kent, you should also be aware of the Biddenden Maids. This pair of conjoined twins (from the 12th<\/sup> century) bequeathed five plots of land to the Kent village, known as the Bread and Cheese Lands. The income from these lands was used to pay for an annual gift of food and drink to the poor every Easter, a tradition which continues to this day on Easter Monday, when tea, cheese, and bread are given to local widows and pensioners (non-locals have to pay for them).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hampshire<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shick-shack day is marked throughout Hampshire on May 29, the birthdate of King Charles II. People used to wear oak leaves and leave them on door knockers to commemorate the time the monarch hid in an oak tree to escape detection by Oliver Cromwell\u2019s forces in 1651 (although the tree itself was actually located in Shropshire).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Hampshire day it\u2019s known as shick-shack day to reflect the religious theme to the occasion; shick shack was a derogatory term form non-Conformists who weren\u2019t members of the Church of England. In other parts of the UK the custom is known as Oak Apple Day. As well as wearing oak leaves, there are parades, fetes and visits to local pubs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And for those thinking of removals to the Hampshire village of Tichborne, there is a gift-giving ceremony there too. The Tichborne Dole involves handing out donations of flour, which have been blessed by the local parish priest, from the front of Tichborne House. The tradition dates back to the 12th century (c.\u20091150) when it was started by Lady Mabella Tichborne who, on her death bed, instructed that a donation of farm produce be made to the poor each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dole stipulates that adults from the parishes of Tichborne and Cheriton are entitled to claim one gallon of flour, and children half a gallon each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buckinghamshire<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most places in the UK mark the election of a new mayor, but probably none in the same way as the people of High Wycombe. Here, the people of this Buckinghamshire town watch as the mayor and other councillors, and sometimes the MP and other civic representatives \u2013 are ceremonially weighed at the start and finish of their term in office (usually in May).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If they are heavier at the end, it\u2019s the cue for jeering and booing on the basis that they have been enjoying themselves too much at the taxpayers\u2019 expense. If they have lost weight, they are applauded. It is believed to date back to a mayor in the 17th<\/sup> century who had a reputation for drunken misbehaviour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Palm Sunday is known as Fig Sunday in Buckinghamshire and some other counties. In the past willow catkins adorned houses and were worn as buttonholes for churchgoing. In addition, figs (and sometimes a local recipe for fig pudding) were eaten on the day. Some of these traditions still persist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All this information should come in useful if you are interested in removals to Buckinghamshire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hamiltons Removals \u2013 a National Removal Company <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you are interested in removals to Kent, Hampshire or Buckinghamshire, Hamiltons Removals can help (and we help people move to international destinations too). You can call us on 01379 855203 if you have any questions or start the moving process by opting for one of our video surveys<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Image: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS\/OATHON<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FAQs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the general process for a Hamiltons Removals move within the UK?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the initial survey (which can be done online), our sales office will arrange a surveyor\u2019s site visit for a more comprehensive quotation based upon your individual requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you opt to use our packing service, our packing team will arrive the day before the removal team and will prepare and pack all your possessions to ensure trouble-free transport to your destination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which UK destinations can Hamiltons Removals help you move to?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hamiltons offer domestic and commercial removals packages to all villages, towns and cities in the UK \u2013 whether that\u2019s the major metropolises of Birmingham, London or Manchester, or the towns of High Wycombe or Rochester, or the villages of Biddenden or Tichborne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What other services do Hamiltons Removals offer apart from the basic moving package?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can help with specialist moves which may involve vehicles (including classic cars) and machinery, animals, or valuable antiques. If you need any items put into storage then we have two Safe\u2019n\u2019Stored<\/a> sites at Harleston and Aldeby. We also offer insurance packages and packing and unpacking services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if your move is likely to be complex, or involves a lot of valuable items, then we have high-end removals specialists as well.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This article explores some of the more unusual customs and traditions found across different English counties\u2014such as Kent\u2019s Sweeps Festival, Hampshire\u2019s Shick-Shack Day and Tichborne Dole, and Buckinghamshire\u2019s ceremonial mayor-weighing. While these customs may surprise new residents, they add colour to the local culture and heritage. The article, written by Hamiltons Removals, a national removal […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nUnusual Customs in English Counties - Hamiltons<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hamiltonsremovals.co.uk\/news\/unusual-customs-in-english-counties\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Unusual Customs in English Counties - Hamiltons\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This article explores some of the more unusual customs and traditions found across different English counties\u2014such as Kent\u2019s Sweeps Festival, Hampshire\u2019s Shick-Shack Day and Tichborne Dole, and Buckinghamshire\u2019s ceremonial mayor-weighing. 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