Druidic links to mistletoe (see recent posts) are often, these days, considered established as fact, despite very little evidence.  The Druids left no written records – and the only accounts we have are written by Romans (Pliny and Caesar) who may not have had direct knowledge, and who may also have had an interest in sensationalist propaganda about the natives of their conquered territories.  Or maybe they wrote with absolute accuracy.  We just don't know. […]

A brief photo report on the celebrations at Tenbury.  A couple of pics of the Mistletoe Queen etc: Here’s the Mistletoe Queen, Holly King et all with Trevor Harrison (Eddie Grundy). Confused?  Well, the Mistletoe Queen is a new tradition set up by the Tenbury Mistletoe  Festival a few years ago.  The role is taken on, each year, by the Head Girl of Tenbury High School, with the Deputy Head Girl acting as her Attendant.  In […]

A few pictures from today’s Druid Ceremony.  I have loads of these – just a few tasters below. [Edit: August 2010 – some formatting in this post has been lost in the move from Typepad – might adjust it when I get round to it) Starting with a gathering at the Rose and Crown at Burford (the Shropshire side of the river) where Suzanne Thomas set out the programme for the ceremony – with differing active […]

A quick round up for those journalists who keep emailing and asking me: 1. Is it a bumper year, or is there a shortage of mistletoe. And  2. Are prices high or low. Answers:   1. This is a 'glut year – loads of decent mistletoe.  To clarify – this doesn't mean there's more mistletoe than usual – it just means that the plants have large numbers of berries, and so are more saleable.   […]

Happy National Mistletoe Day!  Today, 1st December, is the date we set for Mistletoe Day when it was established by the Tenbury Wells Mistletoe Festival back in 2003 (or was it 2004?).  Not that you'd know – as most of the folk who do celebrate it do so on the first Saturday in December – which will be the 5th this year.   For mistletoe events on the 5th click here. But back to today – […]