auctions , Blogroll , Current Affairs , druids , Mistletoe , Mistletoe Day , Religion , Science , social history , Tenbury Wells

Tenbury Mistletoe Festival 2022

by: Jonathan BriggsPosted on:

It’s back! The Tenbury Wells Mistletoe Festival returns again this year, having missed a couple of years due to the pandemic. Founded back in 2004 (by the five members – I was one of them – of the original Tenbury English Mistletoe Enterprise) it focuses on the first Saturday in December – the official Mistletoe Day (so 3rd December this year). There are also, of course, the town’s mistletoe auctions, which are on 22nd and […]

Blogroll , Current Affairs , Media , Mistletoe , Religion , Science , social history

Missing mistletoe? It’ll be back soon!

by: Jonathan BriggsPosted on:

Yes, it’s almost that time again, the mistletoe season. Indeed my first mistletoe gig this autumn is less than 2 weeks away, so I need to get back into mistletoe mode very soon. Here, for starters, are some diary dates for Tenbury Wells. Only two auctions this year – on the mornings of Tuesday 26th November and 3rd December – details at https://nickchampion.co.uk/auctions/holly-and-mistletoe/ The main Festival Day, complete with Druid Ceremony is on Saturday 7th […]

Current Affairs , Mistletoe , Religion , social history

The peaceful side of mistletoe

by: Jonathan BriggsPosted on:

With the centenary of the Armistice tomorrow it seems fitting to briefly re-visit the tradition of mistletoe as a symbol of peace – which is now often overlooked. Tradition holds that the Romans considered mistletoe a plant of parley, and that opposing armies would negotiate peace treaties under a mistletoe growth. This may, or may not, be strictly true but I doubt mistletoe played an active role in the 1918 peace negotiations. Other traditions also […]

Current Affairs , Media , Mistletoe , Religion , social history , Travel

Some mistletoe events at Tenbury Wells 2018

by: Jonathan BriggsPosted on:

Tenbury is hosting its mistletoe auctions and festival again this year. Mistletoe Auction dates are: Tuesday 27th November Tuesday 4th December Tuesday 11th December All take place at Burford House Garden Stores, Burford, Tenbury Wells, WR15 8HQ and are organised by Nick Champion. Buyer information is downloadable here Seller information is downloadable here Registration documents are available here   Druid Mistletoe Ceremony is on Saturday 1st December This is organised by The Mistletoe Foundation who […]

Blogroll , Current Affairs , Gardening , Media , Mistle Thrush , Mistletoe , Orchard , Religion , social history

Radio Gloucestershire, despite the snow

by: Jonathan BriggsPosted on:

I was talking mistletoe, and mistletoe Grow-Kits, with Kate Clark from Radio Gloucestershire this morning. In the studio in Gloucester, despite the snow. Can’t add audio direct to the blog but click the link below to go an extract of the mistletoe bit: http://mistletoe.org.uk/audio/BBCGlos10thDec2017.mp3?_=1 Or, for the whole programme try iplayer here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p001y3bx/episodes/player And for Grow-Kits themselves try here:  https://englishmistletoeshop.co.uk or here: http://growmistletoe.co.uk

Current Affairs , Media , Mistletoe , Religion , social history

December 1st, National Mistletoe Day! 

by: Jonathan BriggsPosted on:

December 1st, National Mistletoe Day!  And interest in mistletoe is building rapidly (as usual!). The first of the Tenbury Wells Mistletoe Auctions was held last Tuesday and was, I’m told (sorry I wasn’t there guys, missed the craic, hope to be there next week), much the same as normal. Lots and lots of mistletoe lots, and the ever-present media interest.  The Daily Telegraph published a photo (see right) the next day but I’m not sure […]

Blogroll , Current Affairs , Doctor Who , druids , Religion , Science , social history

Whovian mistletoe, again

by: Jonathan BriggsPosted on:

It’s August! Time to spot the six scarce, under-recorded in the UK, mistletoe insects! Which I discussed at a Biodiversity Workshop in Glastonbury a couple of weeks ago. But no, not yet. It’s August, the silly season for news. So here’s some silly news instead. Last night I watched the finale of the current Doctor Who series… and there was mistletoe in it! Understated, unremarked-on, but definitely there and used almost-certainly-deliberately (in my view) in […]

Biodiversity , Current Affairs , Gardening , Religion , social history , Travel

‘Training’ mistletoe, and thoughts on Churchyards

by: Jonathan BriggsPosted on:

A day out in London last week, at a conference discussing churchyard trees. Not about mistletoe.  But a surprising number of mistletoe angles… Starting with the journey there – as I caught the train in from Windsor (the conference was at Waterloo, an easy commute from Windsor) and Windsor is a mistletoe hotspot.  Regular readers will, obviously(!), know this already as I mentioned it last year when reporting on a drive up the Thames valley. […]

Current Affairs , Media , Mistletoe , Religion , Science , social history , Travel

Mistletoe Season looms…

by: Jonathan BriggsPosted on:

Too early for mistletoe? Maybe. But it’s never off the agenda here at Mistletoe Matters, and we’re already fielding all sorts of enquiries from the press, public etc. So here are a few updates, as they seem to be needed: – It’s too early to say how good a year it is for mistletoe – there are quite a lot of berries, but they are still unripe and it is impossible to say how big […]

Current Affairs , Gardening , Mistletoe , Orchard , Religion , social history , Travel

All Mistletoe’s Eve?

by: Jonathan BriggsPosted on:

All Hallows’ Eve, and the mistletoe is ripening… Not that it’s got anything to do with Halloween of course, other than being a mysterious plant, a symbol of pagan tradition and a portent of the dark winter months. Which is, I s‘pose, quite a lot. But with November dawning tomorrow we’ll soon be right back into mistletoe season. So I think it’s fair to say this is Mistletoe’s Eve too. Actually, mistletoe season never quite […]