麻豆社 Radio Cambridgeshire

Folklore made of straw

The Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival is a fantastically Fenland tradition.

The celebration returns for 2026 with the iconic bear, a dancing man-sized creation of straw, processing through the streets of the town.

Dotty McLeod has been hearing what people think of the unusual tradition.

(Picture credit: Joe Giddens/PA Wire).

16 January 2026

3 minutes