Now is the season of the Mop Fair. Labourers, the harvest brought home, would traditionally assemble for hire in the town square, each holding the implement of his or her trade (mopping being a popular one, clearly). No doubt a certain amount of morris dancing and accordion playing was laid on to make the whole thing go with a swing.
Nowadays, the Mop is an occasion for the youth of the local community to a ride on neon-lit mechanical monsters covered in garish portraits of Kylie and Elvis and churning out electro-pop at £2 – £10 a shot, or to compete for outsize pink plush teddy bears clutching red satin hearts by throwing balls at soldered stacks of tins.
The traditional Mop Fair treated labourers like commodities to be exploited. The modern Mop Fair treats young people like commodities to be ripped off. Plus ca change and all that…..
Nowadays, the Mop is an occasion for the youth of the local community to a ride on neon-lit mechanical monsters covered in garish portraits of Kylie and Elvis and churning out electro-pop at £2 – £10 a shot, or to compete for outsize pink plush teddy bears clutching red satin hearts by throwing balls at soldered stacks of tins.
The traditional Mop Fair treated labourers like commodities to be exploited. The modern Mop Fair treats young people like commodities to be ripped off. Plus ca change and all that…..
Nice piece, very nice piece. A short descriptive piece making a very too-the-point comment. Very nicely made...and very nicely described. Excellent blog. Sally
ReplyDeleteThanks Sally!
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