January 2011
OBJ's Wassail at The New Leathern Bottle. Jeallotts Hill

Dance: Worcestershire Monkey Dancers: Alison, Ann, Eddie, Jane, Joe, MikeG, Nikki Musicians: Anna, Colin, Kelly, Pam, MikeS, Vera with a bit of help from Sue

January 2011
OBJ's Wassail at The New Leathern Bottle. Jeallotts Hill

Dance: Brimfield Dancers: Alison, Ann, Chris, Colin, Eddie, Joe, MikeG, Nikki Musicians: Jane, Kelly, Vera, Liz, MikeS, Vera (all percussion)

Jane introduces the tree and welcomes all

Ali presents the wassail cake

We all scoff the cake, and whoever gets the bit containing the bean becomes King of the Bean and reigns over the Wassail

King Paul shows the evidence of his accession to royalty

King Paul appoints his Queen for the cememony.

King Paul and Queen Linda annoint the tree with toast and pour beer into it's roots

Queen Linda buries a wren (the King of the Birds) in the roots of the tree

No wrens were harmed during this ceremony!

Songs are sung, evil spirits driven away, and the tree urged to produce good harvests

We sing to the tree

And we sing to be let back into the pub

Joe seems to be enjoying it!

Wickham Mummers perform their mummers play

Saint George challenges the Turkish Knight to battle

Which doesn't end well for the Turkish Knight

It could have been worse - it was damp underfoot and he happened to fall on a bit of polythene

The Doctor appears to attend to the Turkish Knight

And for reasons that I simply can't remember, Father Christmas joins in.

There was a bit of dancing

Phoenix Morris get ready

Wickham Morris does their bit

OBJ danced too - but its hard to take pictures when you're dancing!

So here we are watching the others