The Winning Entries

We would like to thank everyone who submitted entries for our Christmas Competition, which asked for limericks on a folk play theme. We received some excellent entries - some funny, a few philosophical, plus one or two excruciating puns (we hope you meant them to be terrible!). Although we'd like to give lots more prizes, unfortunately we're limited to three. The lucky winners are:

First Prize

Corrine Male, Leicestershire, England:

It started three centuries ago
So the meaning’s not easy to know;
  Is it comic or tragic
  Or midwinter magic
Or merely a medicine show?

Second Prize

Robert Walden, Brafront Guisers, Bedfordshire, England:

The Brafronts from fair Bedford shire,
Put their Doctor on Ebay for hire
  He received just one bid
  So you know what they did?
They offered his part to the buyer!

Third Prize

Charlie Leslie, Brafront Guizers, Bedfordhire, England:

Like life, the play's done in a flash
And it all seems a bit of a hash:
  Two knights have a fight,
  The Old mother takes fright,
And the Devil ends up with the cash.

We will publish a report of the competition in the next issue of our online journal Traditional Drama Forum, and we will include some of the other entries we received.

The Traditional Drama Research Group thanks Hedingham Fair, for their support, and for kindly donating the prizes. Hedingham Fair sell a wide range of cards, artwork and books relating to folk drama and other traditional activities. Visit www.hedinghamfair.co.uk.