Driffield crowds brave cold to keep New Year Scrambling tradition

Crowds braved the cold weather to take part in a New Year tradition unique to an East Yorkshire town.

Scrambling, believed to have been held annually in Driffield town centre for more than 200 years, sees the town’s children visit shops in the high street where shopkeepers throw out sweets and let the children scramble for them.

Michelle Flake, town development officer at Driffield Town Council, said there was a “great turnout” for Friday’s event, with at least 50 children and 53 businesses taking part.

She added: “The kids left with very heavy bags.”

The children, led by town crier Councillor William Strath, walked 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 crowds to drum up business.

Ms Flake said: “It’s great that so many local businesses want to be involved to keep this tradition alive.”

She said it was a “lovely way to start the new year” and hoped local children would grow up and “get their children to do it and then their grandchildren to do it”.