DANCERS came out into Maldon High Street for the traditional and historic Plough Monday event.

Plough Monday, which was revived in Maldon in 1995 - but has roots back to the 1500s - sees a huge group of molly dancers travel up through Maldon performing their classic style of morris dance.

Plough Monday marks the official start of the agricultural year, historically performed by ploughboys during mid-winter. It was originally an all-male tradition but with one of the members - the Molly - dressed up as a woman.

The dancers met on Monday in The Queens Head on Hythe Quay at 7pm, dancing on the quay at 7.30, then following the white plough up to The Swan and dancing there. Their final spot was outside All Saints Church.

Gary Bennett, one of the organisers, said: "It was a really successful evening, we got incredibly lucky with the weather, if it's horrible it can ruin the whole dance.

"There weren't quite as many people as we have had previously, but the crowds and dancing that went on were more than enough to make up for it.

"We got a lot of people involved in the dancing towards the end, usually at the church we invite the audience to take part in an easier dance which was a great sight to see. It also works as a recruitment drive for next year, they often enjoy themselves so much they want to come back."

Sarah Newman, of Chelmsford Diocese, said: "It is very easy for us to fail to make the connections between the quality food we buy in our shops and markets and the highly skilled work of the farming communities in producing that food year in year out.

"The blessing of the plough on Plough Sunday ahead of what would have been the first day of work after the Christmas festivities is an opportunity to thank our farmers and other food producers for ensuring we have food for our tables and to ask God's blessing for them in the vital contribution they make to our well being as a society."