Green Man Festival – a defining event of recent Pilton history

Tom Prideaux (left) and Ken Gaunt (right) carrying the Green Man and Prior Masks at the 2005 Pilton Festival

The right to hold an annual market was first awarded to Pilton by Edward III in the 14th century.  Linking that annual market to the Green Man came in 1982 when the first Pilton Festival was held over a month from late June to late July.  The Pilton Green Man Festival (now always held on the third weekend of July) has become a significant event in the local calendar.

This year the office of The Pilton Story will be open upstairs in the Church Hall near the top of Pilton Street.  It will be manned by our volunteers from 11am until 5pm on Saturday 21st July if you would like to bring in your old photographs, documents or stories about Pilton, have a look through our albums of material, listen to some of the stories we have collected or just have a chat about your life in Pilton over the years.

We look forward to seeing you.

…it’s not just about the past…..

The Pilton Story is not just about the events of our history, but aims to collect today’s stories for future readers.  Here’s one such story.

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Party at the Upper Almshouses on 4th June 2012

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee was celebrated at Nos 2 and 3 Upper Almshouses in Pilton on 4th June 2012. Almshouse residents Betty Pyne (left) and Nancy Baglow (third from left) celebrated with neighbours and family, from left to right: Betty Pyne, Julie Cann, Nancy Baglow, Caroline Isaac, David Baglow (Nancy’s son), Henry (Nancy’s great-grandson), Jessica (partly hidden, Nancy’s great-granddaughter), Jo Baglow (David’s daughter-in-law), Gale Barlow (married to David Baglow), Jimmy Isaac (married to Caroline), Kate Taylor and Megan (future daughter-in-law of David).  Apart from anything else, we are unlikely to have another Diamond Jubilee for a British Monarch for at least 80 years.

Photograph by Martin Haddrill.