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Jennifer Haynes and Simon Rulton enjoy Medieval Day at Helmsley Castle

THE May Day bank holiday proved a bonanza for Ryedale's tourist industry with thousands of people flocking to attractions.

Helmsley Castle had more than 1,000 visitors to watch re-enactments of medieval life, while historian Julian Humphries took tourists on a walk from Helmsley to Rievaulx.

Among the attractions at the castle were games, music, dancing and maypole dancing, said spokesman Peter Bleach. "It was a cracking day - everyone enjoyed themselves from the re-enactors to the public," he said.

English Heritage's other sites, Rievaulx Abbey, Pickering Castle and Kirkham Abbey also reported brisk business as people took advantage of the first sunshine of the early summer.

Hutton-le-Hole and its Ryedale Folk Museum were among the other honey-pot spots for visitors, while Eden Camp also enjoyed a bumper day on Monday, said staff.

But Philip Benham, general manager of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, said that while business had been good, due in particular to the A4 Pacific locomotive, Sir Nigel Gresley, running from Pickering to Whitby in what was probably its last such trip, he believed the summer season could be tough because of high fuel costs and the recession. Mr Benham said: "It is an issue politicians should be taking seriously because tourism is now the fifth biggest industry in the country and if it is hit hard, then so will the whole economy."

Meanwhile, maypole dancing proved to be thriving in Ryedale on Monday when crowds watched demonstrations by schoolchildren at Slingsby and Sinnington.

The village greens in both places were packed as children from the primary schools showed their skills dancing round the giant maypoles which have been a local feature for generations.

Jill Wells, acting head of Slingsby Primary School, said the event had also included a weekend scarecrow festival run by the school's parent teacher association, a cake stall, chocolate fountain and raffle, which had been in aid of school funds. "It was a wonderful occasion - a real community event especially as the sun was shining," she said.

The youngsters had been trained over a period of several weeks by two Slingsby residents, Mrs Pat Thompson and Mrs Cynthia Fell.

Meanwhile, at Sinnington, boys and girls from Year 2 upwards showed off their training of the past seven weeks after being coached by mothers in the art of maypole dancing, while three older girls gave a demonstration of Northumbrian clog dancing.

12:14pm Thursday 8th May 2008

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