The Much Binding Festival (MF/mf)

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The Much Binding Festival (MF/mf)

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Spring and Easter is the time when many small towns and villages have events to mark the season, and we sent our reporter Tom Holt to report on just such a festival…

In the town of Much Binding on the Road, every Easter finds the families in the village preparing for the annual Family Bonding festival. A tradition for the last fifty years, and started by a small group of residents who had been influenced by many common tropes in the media at the time, the festival is a time when families find new and inventive ways for their children to both enjoy some quiet time, and also show a true sense of a family having fun together. Today we have been privileged to meet some of the prize winners, show the photos of the winners and discuss what they did, and how they felt doing it.

The winner of the Close Binding prize were the James family – John and Carol, and their four daughters, who they arranged to be taped in different ways. Eight year old Coral was pictured in a Minnie Mouse sweatshirt and blue training bottoms, her wrists taped together in front of her with black tape, the same tape round her ankles, and finally over her mouth. By contrast, seven year old Bessie was also on the floor, wearing a black top with her jeans, and her wrists and ankles taped together – and to each other with white tape, before lengths were pressed over her mouth as she lay on her side.

The winning shots, however, were of their four year old daughters, Megan and May. Megan was pictured lying on a bed, wearing a green t-shirt and combat bottoms, her wrists and ankles taped with duct tape and her mother covered with it, while May was on her father’s lap, in a purple top and a blue denim skirt, masking tape round her wrists and wound down her body to her ankle, as well as strips over her mouth.

“Both Carol and I took part when we were kids,” John said when I spoke to him, “and we think the kids should enjoy it as well – they certainly seemed to. And what can I say – we won a prize!”

By way of contrast, the winners of the Roped In category were the Barnstable family of Low Street. They made good use of what they had in their house for the way their four daughters took part – Eleanor, the oldest at twelve, was pictured sitting on the floor of their kitchen in a brown hooded top and green pants, while her father secured her wrists and ankles with blue and white striped rope. Her ten year old sister Clara was sitting on an old rocking horse next to her, the same rope used to secure her wrists behind her back and her legs to the horse, in a spotted grey top and jeans.

As with the James family, however, it was the younger girls who stole the show. Four year old Chloe was pictured sitting on the floor, in a white jumper, red skirt and pink tights with her hair in pigtails, while her mother used a yellow dressing gown belt to tie her wrists and then her ankles. She had a beautiful smile on her face, as did her six year old sister Zoe, lying on the floor next to her in a pair of white pyjama bottoms with coloured spots, a white top with frilly shoulders, and pink jellies on her feet – a pink dressing gown belt used to secure her wrists behind her back and her ankles as they were bent back.

“They didn’t want to be kept quiet,” their father said as they rolled around on the floor – well, all except Clara – “and that’s fine, because we wanted them to show and say how much they were enjoying it, and to talk to their friends as well.”

A true sign of family love – but the competition is not just open to large families. One of the categories open to children on their own is the “Stay in Bed” category. Three candidates were selected – one of young Tatum Dwyer, who was shown in a classic pose on an old hospital bed, in her nightgown, her wrists tied to the headboard with nylons and her arms spread wide.

Then there was ten year old Holly Lipton, whose parents had her on their bed, in a pink and white jumper and Nordic leggings. Her wrists were tied together and to their headboard with a white scarf, and her ankles secured with a pink one as she looked down.

But the overall winner was eleven year old Bobbi Prior, for the use of the classic of the school bind – skipping ropes. Her picture had her on her bed, wearing a red t-shirt and lighter red pants, with her wrists clearly tied together in front of her with one rope, and a longer one – her dad is a boxing coach – round her arms and stomach. A third one was round her ankles, but she was smiling and laughing as her mother watched her. When we asked her how she had felt like that she said “I loved it, and I felt so safe with Mummy watching me…”


However, although it is the Family Bonding festival, this year the organisers opened a new category called the BFF category, for two friends to have their picture taken together to show their friendship. One example was Billy Burke and his friend Tommy, who had their picture taken by Tommy’s father on the floor of his house. Both boys were wearing t-shirts, jeans and trainers, but both were clearly having fun with their wrists taped behind their backs with white masking tape, their ankles taped together, and strips covering their mouths as they rolled on the floor.

Or how about six year old Wendy North, and her five year old friend from next door Anna? Wendy’s mother was a past winner in the Stay in the Chair category, and this was the first entry for the two girls, lying on the grey rug in Wendy’s house. Wendy is the one in the blue Frozen sweatshirt and floral pants, and Anna in the grey t-shirt and white skirt, but you can see their smiles even under the blue tape covering their mouths, the same tape holding their wrists together in front of them and their ankles together as well.

Another strong entry came from twelve year old Roberta and Vivian, sitting on a couch in Vivian’s front room. Her father, also a long time resident of the area, was in the army, and so had rolls of camouflage printed tape, which he put to good use. Roberta was wearing a pink top with white sleeves, and jeans, and Vivian a brown hooded top and jeans – but both had their wrists taped together in front of them, their ankles taped tightly together, and tape over their mouths – but the look in their eyes as Vivian’s father approaches with the electric toothbrush, and their feet bare…

The winner, however, was a dramatic staging by ten year old Soo and her seven year old cousin Lou, who was visiting for the holidays. The photo was taken on the first floor of their house, with Soo wearing red tartan pyjamas and Lou a pair of Frozen pyjamas. Both girls were against the upper banister, standing with their legs spread and their arms outstretched – and Soo’s father had used white tape to tape his daughter’s arms to the banister, and her legs spread to the bottom. Lou had her right arm under Soo’s left, and taped to that as well, and her other wrists taped to the banister – her legs were also spread out, her right leg taped to Soo’s left.

“Well, it was their idea,” Soo’s father said when I spoke to him “and they enjoyed doing it.” They also had tape over their mouths, but they were clearly enjoying the experience – and hopefully they are enjoying the prize!

Finally, there were strong entries in the aforementioned Stay in the Chair category. For example, seven year old Laura looked so cute as she sat on a grey stool, with a black scarf tied over her eyes. Her parents had wrapped white rope round her upper body, wrists, legs and ankles, as she sat in a red and brown striped top and red pants, holding a black sock in her hands as she wondered what it was. The caption on the photo was “is this going in my mouth daddy?” – and it did after the shoot, according to her father.

Or how about the entry from Rosita Perez – she was pictured on a dining room chair, wearing a t-shirt with a common theme this year – Elsa, her sister and the snowman from Frozen – on the front, blue jeans and trainers. The nine year old had her feet over the edge of the chair, her ankles bound together with a white cloth, while her mother had wrapped white tape round her wrists, and then taken it round the chair back so that her wrists were by her side. I asked her where this idea had come from, and she said it had been done to her when she was growing up in Los Angeles – she had found it comfortable, and clearly Rosita did as well.

One photo that was also a strong contender was actually from the local Postmaster – her daughters Gail and Queenie were sat in two of the office chairs, wearing t-shirts and shorts. Their wrists taped down to the armrests with black electrical tape, and their ankles were taped together as well, but you could also see them twisting round as they tried to free each other…

The winner, however, was a picture of four year old Maisie, and I asked her mother how it came about.

“Well, she had been in her playgroup, and heard what some of the other children were doing – and she came home asking if we could do it as well,” she said. “I was worried, having just moved to the area, but the other mothers assured me it was fine, so the next day when we got back I sat her on a dining table chair. She was still wearing her jacket, pink pants and trainers, but she laughed as I found some green nylon rope and tied it round the chair back and her so that she was held in place. I then tied it round her lap and the chair seat. No more than that – and then I took the photo as she looked at me and smiled her cute smile.

“I really had no idea it would win – but having seen some of the other entries, Maisie has asked if she can have some friends round for a party where they can all play, and I’m trying to organise that now…”

So, we congratulate all the winners, and hope they enjoy the festival – as well as looking forward to a new event that was announced this year. The Silent Night contest, to be held in December.

Tom Holt, for DiD Channel News, Much Binding on the Road.

Thank you Tom – and now the weather…
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