Chesterfield-born poet draws on Derbyshire traditions for new book

Derbyshire’s famous traditions have inspired a new book of poetry created by a man who was born in Chesterfield.
Matthew Hedley Stoppard has written a book of poetry based on Derbyshire customs.Matthew Hedley Stoppard has written a book of poetry based on Derbyshire customs.
Matthew Hedley Stoppard has written a book of poetry based on Derbyshire customs.

Customs such as mumming, well dressing and Castleton’s Garland King feature alongside the UK’s finest including Scotland’s Burryman and May Day celebrations in Cornwall.

Matthew Hedley Stoppard, 35, who grew up in Clay Cross, mixes old traditions with modern anxieties in his book entitled The Garland King. in Matthew’s poetry, the Garland King cannot shake the inherent sexism of our society; a mummer mismanages his depression after his child is diagnosed with cancer; and Morris Dancers melt in the midst of a climate emergency.

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The poems celebrate the rituals of the working and labouring classes, who have had their culture eclipsed by organised religion and politics. The poet explores them by donning bells and decorated bonnets himself, in order to connect with Britain’s heritage and with other countries that have similar customs.

Matthew said: "If you’ve ever wondered why Morris Dancers look so happy, it’s because you're witnessing a person who is shedding every distraction in their life and only focusing on movements of music and movements of their body that have been carried through centuries.

“This is what I felt the first time I danced five years ago. Since then I have explored other customs around the country and met people who feel the same way. Folk traditions have featured in poetry before, but I don’t feel previous poets have immersed themselves in them, like a method actor.

“When you take part in a folk tradition you directly are connected with the people who first started them hundreds of years ago. I feel they bear some cultural significance and share similarities with customs in other countries, but have now been overshadowed by elitist notions of Brexit and Empire."

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Now living in Otley, West Yorkshire, Matthew holds the rare distinction of being the town’s Official Poet – the only role of its kind in the United Kingdom.

His first collection, A Family Behind Glass, was a Guardian Readers’ Book of the Year in 2013.

The Garland King is available as a paperback, priced £9.99, from valleypressuk.com.