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 who else ran features. Some may be waiting until nearer Christmas.
Prices for this first auction seemed a bit low – “Mistletoe 1st Quality” fetching up to £2.50 per kg but an average of £1.25 and “Mistletoe 2nd Quality” only £0.75p per kg and averaging £0.25p. For details on these and previous years visit the mistletoe and holly page of Nick Champion’s website at http://nickchampion.co.uk/auctions/holly-and-mistletoe/
Those are wholesale prices of course – don’t confuse them with what you’d pay in the florist, greengrocer or supermarket – by the time mistletoe gets there much has been discarded and it has been handled, washed and cut numerous times (and therefore much more costly!). But if you’re a supplier these prices are a little worrying – they’d hardly pay for your fuel getting the mistletoe to the auction. I prefer to think of the mistletoe sales as a way to subsidise mistletoe management rather than a way to make mega-profit!
Meanwhile I’ve been busy all week with other mistletoe business, as indeed have others: I was the sole male at the 100-strong Wolverhampton Ladies Luncheon Club (est. 1932) on Wednesday where the table decorations were made with mistletoe supplied by mistletoe supplier Mark Adams. Mark himself featured in a picture in the Guardian a few days ago (see left).
Tomorrow, Saturday 2nd, is Mistletoe Festival Day in Tenbury Wells, where there’ll be a mistletoe kissathon in the morning (details at http://www.tenburymistletoe.org/festival.html) and in keeping with the spirit of very ancient Christmas past, a Druid Mistletoe Ceremony in the afternoon.
The Druid Ceremony is organised by the Mistletoe Foundation and officially starts at 2pm at the Burgage recreation ground . I won’t be there (sorry Suzanne!) as I’m busy talking about mistletoe elsewhere tomorrow, but I hope it goes well – it’s well worth attending if you can. Just turn up at the Burgage at 2pm or, if you want to be part of the procession, volunteer for a part etc, be at the Rose & Crown (on the north side of the river just outside Tenbury) from 1pm. Details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/296475577498104/
Mistletoe Information: for general mistletoe info visit the Mistletoe Pages website.
And for mistletoe books, cards or kits to grow your own druidic berries visit the English Mistletoe Shop website:
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