THERE are plans to make May Day a truly magical experience this year - with a major celebration taking place at Swindon's world famous Magic Roundabout.

On the May bank holiday, May 2, a huge maypole will be erected in the centre of the central roundabout in the complex system of traffic islands.

In traditional style, streamers will be attached to the top of the pole and children from local primary schools will dance around it.

Music for the event will be played through giant speakers from the roof of the nearby Drove Fire Station and will be played loud enough for people in the immediate neighbourhood to hear and hopefully entice them down to the Magic Roundabout to enjoy the spectacle.

It is hoped up to 100 children will take part, dancing in shifts and enjoying refreshments along Drove Road when it's not their turn.

Morris dancers will also be brought in to add to the fun, dancing around some of the smaller traffic islands, accompanied by a traditional 'Obby 'Oss, and a Fool will be getting up to all sorts of mischief.

A spokesman for Swindon council, which is helping to arrange the event, said: "This will be a great family day out, with lots of fun and plenty of refreshments, including lots of cider for the grown ups. We've got a license allowing us to serve it from sunrise on May Day until midnight. Please drink responsibly.

"The maypole will be a fantastic spectacle. We think it will be even more impressive than the Christmas tree we had in the middle of the Magic Roundabout a few years ago.

"And the music playing from the roof of the fire station will be very loud - it will certainly be heard clearly in the Groundwell Road area and across to Old Walcot; residents should even be able to hear it in Old Town and Broadgreen. We're hoping people living nearby will come down and join in the fun when they hear the music, which should start at about 6am."

The Magic Roundabout will not be entirely closed to traffic - the central area will be closed, with traffic using it as one big island, negotiating around the outside of the smaller islands. All traffic will travel left, giving way to vehicles approaching from the right. So a car travelling towards the Magic Roundabout along, for example, Fleming Way heading for Drove Road will need to turn left and take the fourth exit; traffic coming down Drove Road heading for Drakes Way must turn left and take the fourth exit; traffic from County Road heading for Fleming Way must turn left and take the fourth exit. And so on.

A police officer will be on hand to help with any traffic-related issues.

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