Oasby is a small village just outside what was once voted the most boring town in England, Grantham..however Baboon Night or more correctly Baboon Tossing Night is far from being dull and lightens, quite literally, a rather cold and dull Friday in November.
The custom is linked to a local legend; involving a pet baboon and the local land owner’s son who is said to have died at the hands of the monkey. The event dates back to 1723, when Sir Michael Newton, (relative of the more famous Isaac) kept a pet baboon at Culverthorpe Hall. It is said that when his son, Viscount Conningsby, was only only six months old, the pet threw from a window! What the instant reaction of the family is unrecorded by the son was duly buried in the chapel. The baboon? He appears to have been granted a mini mausoleum on an island on the estate. Although he was killed as a result of the incident I do believe.
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around 15 years ago, a local Morris team, who drank at the delightful Houblon Inn, thought it was a good idea to celebrate it or rather to drive the spirit of the creature out to placate the spirit of the young child. So they created their own custom and an eccentric one it is too! I was told by the organiser that the custom combines a number of customs, a sort of omni tradition including souling, fire based celebrations and riding the stang, indicating the folklore literacy of the organiser. The event always on the Friday when Children in Need is on is perhaps a rare example of such a folk custom being directly linked to a national TV event. Although no one appeared get the rather bizarre notion of a baby killing monkey being ‘celebrated’ on Children in Need night, although as it was clearly to remove the monkey I suppose it was defending it!
I can find no information on whether this is happening this year but Children in Need is on Friday 17th November. You should probably phone the pub before going.