Easter Oranges

Morpeth Town Council distributes free oranges to children in Carlisle Park play area every Easter Monday. A tradition going back to when the fruit was a real luxury and a gift to the poor. Later, after the two World Wars, oranges were given to children who, in many instances, had never seen the fruit before.

The annual Easter Games which have their own history, going back to medieval times, and were originally held in the Easter Field, where at one time the “Morpeth Olympics” took place. The games are colloquially termed ‘Boolin and Jarpin’.

‘Boolin’ involves the children lining up at the top of the park’s grassy hillside and rolling their eggs down to the bottom. Next comes the game of ‘Jarpin’, – a conkers-style game with hard-boiled eggs. This is followed by the egg and spoon race.

The event proves popular with all ages and is a happy occasion for everyone involved.