Centuries-old street sweets scramble marks New Year

Children in an East Yorkshire market town have been taking part in an old tradition that sees shopkeepers throw them treats.

Since the 1800s, youngsters in Driffield have enjoyed "scrambling" for sweets and money as part of the New Year celebrations.

The children, led by local dignitaries, walk through the main street from shop to shop, chanting a rhyme.

The chant is thought to date from when traders used to visit the outskirts of the town and distribute gifts to the crowd to drum up business.

According to the town council, it is generally acknowledged that the tradition is unique to Driffield.

Shopkeepers used to throw hot pennies and oranges but today it tends to be sweets.

Town clerk Matthew Brown said: "It's a really wonderful tradition, and we are really proud to have it in Driffield.

"Our town crier will ring his bell and the children will all chant the song, and then the shopkeepers will throw the sweets into the air for the children to scramble and collect.

"We are so fortunate that everyone is happy to get involved. I just like seeing the happy faces."

The event was featured in the first edition of the Driffield Times, dated 3 January 1860, and continued to thrive until 1974, when New Year's Day was declared a bank holiday and many shops and businesses closed.

After reaching a low point in 1995, it was revived by the council's heritage committee and is now usually held on 2 January, with the children meeting in the station yard before making their way around the town.

They recite a rhyme before they get their sweets: "Here we are at oor toon end - A shoulder o' mutton and a croon ti spend - Are we downhearted? No! - Will we win? Yes!"

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