Dancing around the maypole, in Åmmeberg, Sweden

Hoisting a maypole into place used to be the work of ladders, ropes and strong men but materials-handling equipment has provided assistance in a village in West Yorkshire, UK.

The Yorkshire Post reported a crane and a forklift helped hoist an 86 foot (26 metre) maypole into place in Barwick-in-Elmet, a village on the outskirts of Leeds, West Yorkshire.

It was the first time the maypole had been raised in six years.

Concern over health and safety regulations had threatened to make 1999 the last time the May Day affair would be held but organisers decided to revive the event this year.

The Barwick-in-Elmet maypole is the tallest in the UK and the one used in the ceremony this year was worth GBP1,400 (USD2,537).

According to Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, Barwick-in-Elmet, together with the Scholes-in-Elmet and Sherburn-in-Elmet villages, are associated with the ancient Celtic kingdom of Elmet.

Picture courtesy of Wikipedia - http://www.wikipedia.org/