Children brave freezing conditions to keep alive town's scramble tradition

IT IS a tradition that stretches back hundreds of years and scores of children braved freezing conditions to keep it alive yesterday.
By The Newsroom
Published 5th Jan 2011, 10:31 BST
Updated 5th Jan 2011, 10:31 BST

The Driffield "scramble" was first recorded in the 1700s, but its exact origins are unclear.

The tradition sees shopkeepers throw money and sweets onto the street for children to chase and collect, and about 60 of them took part yesterday.

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Shopkeepers used to heat up the coins on shovels before they were thrown, making it more difficult for them to be picked up off the pavements and out of the gutters.

The chase is also accompanied by an ancient rhyme that has been passed down the generations: "Here we are at our toon's end wi' a shoulder o' mutton and a croon ti spend. Are we doon 'arted? No. Shall we win? Yes."

It was originally held on New Year's Day but was moved back when that became a bank holiday.

The custom, which is thought to be unique to the town, nearly died out but was relaunched by the town council some years ago in a bid to preserve a quirky aspect of Driffield's heritage.

One boy who took part yesterday was asked what he planned to spend his handful of coins on, and replied: "More sweets."