Britannia Coco-nuts

It is the Yorkshire Traditional Dance Festival once again and these are the Britannia Coco-nut Dancers of Bacup, known to one and all as 'The Nutters'. The custom of blackened faces may appear rather non PC but is said to reflect a pagan or medieval background and was done to disguise the dancers from being recognised by evil spirits. There may also be a mining connections as Bacup was once a Lancashire mining town. 
Here they are performing a Garland Dance, each of the Dancers carries a hoop decorated with red, white and blue paper flowers. This is a  ritual Spring dance connected with the renewal of crops. 
Taking part in Ruby Tuesday 

There He Goaz

Another picture from the  York Traditional Dance Festival. These are long sword dancers and likely to be a local group as this form of folk dancing is performed mainly in Yorkshire. The dancers often wear a military type costume, and make a series of intricate movements whilst holding wooden handled swords. The dance is completed when the six swords are locked together to form a star which is held aloft by the dance captain.

There He Goaz in the background was taking the hat round collecting money as the dancers performed. He has a plough sewn onto the back of his coat, long sword dancers often perform at plough blessing ceremonies in their local church.