Allendale tar barrels
Also known as the tar bar’ls, the people of the Northumberland village see in the New Year with a procession of local men (known as ‘guisers’) in fancy dress and blackened faces who carry burning barrels on their heads and then dump them on a bonfire.
The origins of the ceremony, which has been going on for more than 150 years, are unclear
Riding the bounds, Berwick
Common rides are a feature of life in the borders, and Berwick’s ceremony stretches back more than 400 years.
The 15-mile route ridden at the start of May each year marks out the boundaries of the town, a practice that was more significant when Berwick was frequently disputed territory between England and Scotland.
Leek shows
Once a regular feature in towns and villages around Northumberland, leek shows have dwindled but not died out in recent years.
The growing of prize leeks and other giant vegetables has its roots in the region’s mining heritage, and its large number of allotment gardens, when it offered pitmen a hobby that got them out into the fresh air.
Northumberland Plate
First staged in 1833 on a racecourse at Newcastle’s Town Moor, the Northumberland Plate moved to its current venue at Gosforth Park in 1882.
For many years the two-mile race took place on a Wednesday and was a holiday for local mine workers, becoming known as the Pitmen’s Derby. It was switched to a Saturday in 1952 and is now part of a three-day racing festival.
Shrove Tuesday football in Alnwick
Shrove Tuesday football matches - involving unlimited teams and few of the rules of the modern game - take place in a number of locations around the UK, dating back to the Middle Ages.
In Sedgefield, the game began as a match between the mechanics against the agriculturists of the area, while in Alnwick the game is played on the Pastures between the parishes of St Paul and St Michael.
