Shrovetide’s return offers a taste of the old normal

IT’S hard to argue that the past few years haven’t been strange for us all, to say the least.

The majority of us have spent the past 24 months baking copious amounts of sourdough and grieving the loss of our toilet paper.

Although all of us have lost precious time with our loved ones, the question is now; how do we return to “normal”?

Returning to society without some of our dearest with us, lost friendships, and new relationships is starting to feel like the real battle.

When the pandemic struck, I was a year 10 student at Queen Elizabeth’s Ashbourne, I am now in year 12 and, like many other students, question how we all managed it.

Surprise lockdowns and quarantines made learning very difficult for all and without doing exams we were being assessed in most classes almost daily towards the end of year 11, but we all made it through with the support of teachers, friends, and family.

The times have been hard for everyone, and we all need something to cheer us up, pull us back together and celebrate what we are all hoping is the end of Covid.

After a two-year hiatus, the excitement leading up to Ashbourne’s great game has been palpable among my peers.

Shrovetide is a part of our community that we temporarily lost, and it is something that people value as an important part of their lives.

To many students Shrovetide is an opportunity to reinforce community spirit and a chance for us to support relatives and friends.

For some it might just be an opportunity to wander around and spectate our great game, yet for others it is the chance to get involved and carry on this wonderful town tradition.

Many players now are many generations into the game, upholding family and cultural traditions.

Shrovetide is important to me because it makes me feel like I am a part of something bigger, and makes me feel like I am part of a safe, supportive, and social community.

The game began centuries ago yet is still valued within many families, and to me that makes it even more special.

In this ever-changing world we still sustain this tradition and I believe that is why it is special to me, and to many other students.

To quote one of my peers “even though there is a split due to the teams, the whole town gets together to support, and we all look forward to one thing.”

Although there is an obvious divide, a split between the teams, when it comes to the goal, we all stand there and cheer and we all feel the thrill running through our veins as we hear those familiar three thuds against the wall, regardless of if you are Up’ard or Down’ard.

We feel the same love and dedication to our town as we celebrate what our ancestors began.

Covid affected us all in many different ways, but I truly believe that we have all come out stronger than before, and that we have faced challenges we never expected to have to face.

Shrovetide of 2022 should be the celebration we all deserve, the celebration of how far we have come and the celebration to continue the community spirit we upheld throughout the pandemic.

Hopefully, the return of Shrovetide this year will bring back some normalcy we’re all craving, even if that normalcy is our crazy game.

Let the game begin.

Year 12 student DAISY EDWARDS explains what Shrovetide means to a sixth-former at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School