Ghosts from a time gone by….

I had a wonderful time this weekend in Kent with my friends of old, Gail and Mick.

On Saturday evening we went to The Gate Inn in Marshside, Kent to  celebrate the ancient custom of Wassailing.   The atmosphere was one celebration and of times gone by……

The guns were fired after the Apple Yowling. 

The words to this post come from the Yowling Song, written by Gail Duff. 

‘The moon is up, the stars are bright, the lantern’s lit, the fire’s alight,   And we are met in the cold night air, This ancient rite to share.

Our bowl it is made from the apple tree wood, And bound with silver to make it good.   It’s filled with cider spiced and hot, the best that we have got. 

We’ve toast for the Robins, so here they stay, And salt to drive bad spirits away,  The cider we sprinkle around, To bring good luck to the ground. 

Old Apple Tree, we Wassail thee, May you bud and bloom and bear, That when we come in another new year, There’ll be cider for all to share. 

So make your shout and bang your drums, Blow your horns and fire your guns, Make it loud as ever you can, To please the Apple Tree Man. 

Wassail, Wassail, we sing Wassail, Good health to all, may it never fail,   Take a drop from the blow as you say, “Drink Hael”, And join our Wassail. 

So stand fast root and bear well top, God send us a yowling crop, Every twig, apples big every bough, apples enow,  Hat fulls, cap fulls, bushel bushel bag fulls And little heaps under the stairs.  Apple Yowling, Voices howling, Success to the Old Apple Tree. 

After singing and a drink form the Wassail Cup – much merriment was had in the pub when musicians and singers joined together to celebrate:)

Mick and Gail’s daughter Lucy, playing the fiddle.

I was reminded once again that it’s important to remember from whence we cometh:)

A Bientot