MAY Day celebrations were in full swing at a primary school as youngsters marked the start of the month in the traditional manner.

A maypole was put up in the grounds of Lord Street School in Horwich, and children spent the morning and afternoon enjoying the traditional folk dance on Tuesday.

Classroom assistant Lynne Leaf said: "As far as we know, we are the only school in the area to still have maypole dancing. This school has been marking the start of the month in this way since the 1950s, and some of the children's parents and grandparents who have attended the school would have danced around the same maypole.

"It is important to keep traditions like this alive and all the children took part."

May Day celebrations have their origins in the Roman festival of Flora, goddess of fruit and flowers, which marked the beginning of summer. It was held annually from April 28 to May 3.

On May Day, people used to cut down young trees and stick them in the ground in the village to mark the arrival of summer. People danced around them in celebration of the end of winter.