Alfreton (SK4155), Derbyshire
P.T.Millington Collection (1972, B.Faulconbridge)
Mrs. Barbara Faulconbridge (Inf.)
[Christmas, Bull Guyses play from Selston, Notts.]
P.T.Millington Collection,
Com. 20th Jan.1972 & 20th Feb.1972
Two letters. The first, responding to a newspaper article, gives an
incomplete text (14 + 4 lines) of a Bull Guyses (Guyseing) play performed at
Christmas from about 1946 to 1950 at Selston, Notts. The characters are;
Enterer, Bull Guyse, St. George, Doctor Brown and Bells-a-bub, with additional
unidentified supernumerary characters for the "Hangers-on". The performers, who
were her friends, "... moved out of Selston with their activities as they found
that at Somercotes and Alfreton it was something quite new..."
The song "We've come to steal your old black hen" was sung at the end of the
play, and second letter was in response to a query as to what the tune was like.
It also gives the words of another "saying" mostly used with Christmas singing.
P.T.Millington Collection (1991)
Mrs. Barbara Faulconbridge (Inf.)
[Christmas Bullguysers Play and Bullguysing in Selston, Notts.]
P.T.Millington Collection,
Received 29th Jan.1991
Letter describing experiences of Bullguysing in Selston, Notts. Mrs.
Faulconbridge was associated with the custom as a girl, probably about
1940. She was not a performer herself, having to be content with Christmas
singing. The local Bullguysers "disappeared" when they discovered more
lucrative grounds in Somercotes and Alfreton. In later life she had taught the
play to her husband and sons for the entertainment of family and friends around
Brinsley, Notts.
One of her sons witnessed a set of Guysers performing in Awsworth, Notts.,
during Christmas 1990.
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