The main event of the Sowerby Bridge Rushbearing Fesstival kicked off in all its glory today (Saturday).
The procession started from St John’s Chuch at 10.15am, with 60 gents in Panama hats, white shirts, black trousers and clogs hauling a 16ft rushcart around the churches and pubs of Halifax, Sowerby Bridge and the Ryburn Valley.
The festival is the only one of its kind in the country and dates back to the 17th century when villages would gather new rushes for the church floors each year.
Celebrations conclude tomorrow at a Songs of Praise service at St Bartholomew’s Church in Ripponden at 5.30pm.
Visit this site tomorrow for more about the festival and to view our spectacular slideshow.