Mikal Ludlow Photography - 21/05/20
In village life, traditions can be very important and in the small Cotswold village of Bisley near Stroud this is no different. The annual Well Dressing on Ascension Day dates back to 1863 when the wells were restored under the then Reverend Thomas Keble. This year things were very different as the Coronavirus Covid-19 lockdown made this a private event with little fanfare while all the time observing social distancing advice. In normal times the oldest pupils from Bisley Blue Coat School would dress up in Victorian style costume and process through the village streets. The pupils would carry floral displays to dress the wells, these would include letters spelling ASCENSION, the year, star shapes and hoops. Today there were no crowds and no procession, the garlands replaced by seven hoops decorated by the children in the colours of the rainbow, the pupils arrived individually to the wells an hour apart. Coloured stars and a special tribute to the NHS had already been placed by the school above the seven water spouts at the foot of the hill down from All Saints Church.