Around 70-80 people visited Brigg Market Place on Saturday 13th January to watch the Coleby Plough Jag. This is a traditional mummers play associated with Plough Monday which is the traditional start of the English agricultural year and is generally the first Monday after Epiphany, 6 January. The exact origins of the Jag are not clear but it may have started in Viking times and evolved over hundreds of years into its present form.

The play is performed on the nearest Saturday for convenience of both spectators and performers, in the Gainsborough and Scunthorpe area. The performance features a hero/combat scenario with traditional characters such as the Doctor, Fool and Recruiting Sergeant and a few suspiciously beardy-looking ladies.  The group also sing a number of songs in harmony like John Barleycorn and Drink Old England Dry – well worth a listen.

The players repeated the Plough Jag in The Lord Nelson pub to great applause. At the end they had collected £764.47 for the British Heart Foundation. A great day for the Coleby Plough Jag – well done to all concerned.

Visit their website for further information:  www.colebyploughjag.com