Mistletoe Travels 2006/2007/2008

9% "still pick mistletoe". Really??

According to a recent poll 9% of Brits still pick mistletoe.  Which sounds good and reassuring for us mistletoe promotors - except that I don't believe it for a moment.  9% hang it up - ok, 9% pick it?  No.

This is the same poll, reported in many papers (eg the Telegraph, the Metro), that claims 65% of Brits have champagne breakfasts on Christmas Day - which many commentators have pointed out seems unlikely.

But why don't I believe the mistletoe figure?  Well, mistletoe is fairly rare over most of the country (see dotmap left) - virtually unknown in Scotland Wales and Northern England, and in most of the SE and extreme SW.  Where it does occur in those areas most is either on limes in parks (and therefore unreachable) or in a few private gardens (and therefore unavailable).  It's only common on low-growing trees in Somerset, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire - but do those areas represent 9% of the population?  Maybe, I s'pose, though I doubt it.  And do people in these areas really go and pick it - it's still all on private land - and it's much easier to simply buy it. 

And would they have been surveyed evenly across the country - could all the "9%" simply be from this area?  The survey, by UKTV and championed by their chef Brian Turner  was apparently only 3000 adults, and I suspect most were more south-easterly than mistletoe country.  So why would they say they still pick mistletoe - if they don't?  Well, maybe they like to think they do, maybe they mean they pick plastic mistletoe from Woolworths, or maybe they simply don't know what mistletoe is (do a google image search on mistletoe and you'll find a depressing number of results are actually holly... ).

Difficult to find out more on this survey - despite all the media coverage there's nothing on the UKTV  website...

Perhaps it's simple bit of spin - the question might have been 'do you hang mistletoe up each year' - and I'm sure more than 9% do this - but maybe in the news release about the results this was simply re-written as 'pick'?  Sounds more romantic and back-to nature that way.  I will investigate... 

Yellow mistletoe? Or the Golden Bough?

At the mistletoe auctions this year I’ve overheard several people grumbling a bit about too much ‘yellow’ mistletoe, often comparing it unfavourably with French Mistletoe (which is ‘always yellow’ according to Tenbury lore).  This is, of course, entirely untrue, and should perhaps be described as a sort of Tenbury Wells Urban Legend.  It helps build the market for the English stuff you see…

In reality all northern European mistletoe goes a bit yellow around this time of the winter – it’s all Viscum album and it’s all green, and it’s all occasionally yellow too, wherever it grows.  Now normally I just let these comments pass me by, as they’re harmless (unless you’re trying to sell French mistletoe in Tenbury) and rather quaint.

But this year, some of the TEME mistletoe stock has been rejected by wholesale buyers – because it’s ‘yellow’ and their buyers won’t like it.  This is a new one on me, people actually rejecting the yellowy green stock, and I’m not sure how seriously to take it.  I harvested some of that material, and I thought it was rather spectacular - and some is always like this.  So just what is the problem?

Part of the problem may be the association of yellowish stock with the male plant – which tends to be the first to turn yellowy each season.  And the male plant has reduced value already – as it has no berries.  So maybe wholesalers reject yellow as they think it’ll have no berries.  But there are many truly stunning yellow-green female branches out there (trust me, I’ve seen them – but don’t have pics to upload yet - will look out for some) and they’re overwhelmed with berries.  Lovely stuff – beautiful material.  So why reject it?

Perhaps it’s the word ‘yellow’ – making people think the branches are off/old/dead/decaying?  But they’re not, they are perfectly healthy and very attractive.

My solution?  Rebranding…  Mistletoe is the Golden Bough of legend – and was probably called that because it was, er, yellow.  So let’s re-brand all the yellow mistletoe ‘golden’… 

Golden Mistletoe!
Get your Golden Mistletoe here.
The Genuine and Rare form that guided Aeneas and the Sybil to the Elysian Fields and allowed entry to the Underworld...

Sounds better already doesn’t it?  For more info on the Golden Bough, you’ll have to read Sir James George Frazer’s epic book on the subject.  You’ll find the abridged (1922) version online here.

Mistletoe & Holly Auction 2007 #3

Tuesday 11th December.  The last of the 3 Tenbury Mistletoe Auctions for 2007.  And this time I'm there for 05.30 hours and it's very very cold (-2.5C) and very dark.  The mistletoe looks good though, all sparkly and frosty!

Why so early?  Well, BBC Breakfast TV are here to broadcast live links during the show (6.00 to 9.00am) and this year I'm acting as a sort of press officer for all things Tenbury Mistletoe.  Though I've always fielded the press at mistletoe time, my role as Publicity Officer for the Tenbury Mistletoe Festival this year has rather formalised the role, even if most of the coverage is about the auctions (for which I hold no brief at all!) not for the Festival. 

So it's a little awkward - as the messages I want to get across (from the Festival point of view) - about Tenbury's tradition with mistletoe and about Tenbury's recovery from the summer floods, are rather lost as (at the auctions) I have no say on the angle the press are coming from or what the interviewees talk about.  My personal mistletoe 'agenda' items for this season - better management of mistletoe (ie sustainable harvesting etc) and the new work on the national mistletoe survey data are far too complicated to even try to fit in today's circumstances - so I don't try.. 

Today's BBC story/theme is about the shortage of holly berries (frankly not a particularly significant event - and merely a variant of what is reported EVERY year) interspersed with footage I suggested to them of Stan Yapp harvesting mistletoe in his orchard yesterday.  Interviewee for the morning is due to be Nick Champion, auctioneer.  Neither Stan nor Nick are likely to spin their answers around to the key messages of the Festival and the town, without being fully briefed and willing - and even then it would be very difficult if the press just want to talk about holly...  So I'm probably not succeeding in my mission...

Nevertheless, having been indoctinated over many years by the British Waterways Press Office that you must look after and monitor the media when on-site I get up very early and make sure I'm there soon after the OB van arrives.  I check all's well and happy, advise on piling up the holly and mistletoe lots to look better (there's no-one else here, apart form the site-owner), introduce myself to the crew and presenter and then stand back, shivering a little, to keep watch on proceedings.  It's dark, so my pic is a bit wobbly...

Just as well really, as the live 6.20 link comes and Nick isn't here so I stand-in - only to say a few words about the holly berry shortage (they don't want anything else and its's all very rushed).  One theme they want info on is did the floods cause the berry shortage??  Er, no, what would be the trigger there chaps?  Turns out later in the day they've all (newspapers and all) picked this angle - which is clearly utter nonsense.  They seem to believe all the holly trees of the area somehow got flooded  (extremely unlikely!!) or that the floods near the river somehow affected the holly everywhere (er, how??).  Talk about clutching at straws - maybe people think holly grows as short crop on the ground???.   

This clearly indicates that next season Tenbury needs a more co-ordinated media approach, covering Festival, Auctions and mistletoe/holly state-of-the-nation information. It would be so much better for Tenbury and the media.

Anyway Nick has arrived for the 7.20 link but even he only gets a chance to say 'yes holly is expensive this year' and then that's it - for the 8.20 link they don't ask for any input.  But I continue in my unofficial minder role until the end, persuading arriving buyers to switch off their engines when pausing next to the camera.  And it's still very cold - but at least we have a spectacular dawn. 

It's soon apparent that we have a large posse of press photographers here today - from all over the place, and so maybe we'll get that national newsaper coverage after all (the auctions haven't been covered at all so far by the national papers (I think)).  But there's definitely this weird pre-occupation with holly berry shortages 'caused' by the floods.  Doesn't bode well for sensible coverage!

A little light relief when I get a call from a chap at the Star wanting to know about the 'mistletoe shortage'.  0/10 for him so far!

Later the film crew for BBC TV's The One Show turn up, though minus their reporter (who's lost in showbiz somewhere down south) so they just film GVs of the auction until she shows up, just in time to see the auctions end... 

But they'll be ok, lots of good footage and they're off to see Stan Yapp in the afternoon.  They thank me profusely as they leave - but all I've done is help them (over several weeks)with contact details - but then I s'pose that's what they expect in a press officer role.  I had assumed, up 'til almost the last minute, that they'd want to talk to me about mistletoe but apparently not...  Must try harder!

Could add a lot more here - including Stan's mistletoe portrait, unveiled today, in the back of a hired van, by Paul Saville, the artist.  But I'll say more on that another time...

Prices by the way - just as before - high for holly, low for mistletoe.  And a lot less mistletoe this week - growers are obviously deciding the prices aren't worth it.  So maybe there could be a shortage of mistletoe after all??!!

Buying mistletoe online - update

My listing of online mistletoe suppliers in the UK last week was somewhat dismissive of the Ebay suppliers, and I've been taken to task a little by the Mistletoe Lady, who is a year-round mistletoe seller (incl grow-kits, in season), based in Cheltenham, and should really be added to my listing of non-Ebay suppliers. 

You can find her details here, and a list of her current sales items here. 

Talking of grow-kits (see previous blog entry) yet another supplier is Wriggly Wrigglers, the compost people based in Herefordshire.  But as stated previously, you'll have to wait until Feb to get your kit...

Will post updates on the 3rd and final 2007 Tenbury mistletoe auction (yesterday) soon...

Grow your own feature in the Telegraph - Again already?

Well. here's a first, not only do we have a sensible feature on how to-grow mistletoe in the Telegraph on Saturday but we have another one, equally sensible, on Monday.  What's going on?  The same national newspaper runs the same feature over 2 consecutive days?  And such a distinctive feature too - you'd think the editor might just notice. 

Each by a different journalist of course, and each with some differing content of course.  But I'm stunned - it's very rare to get a grow-your-own account that doesn't fall for the old gardening book nonsense about cutting nicks in bark, covering with soil/moss/cloth etc.  To get two good accounts in as many days in the same newspaper is, well, weird.

The cut-a-nick-in-the-bark etc nonsense is still propagated (geddit?) by BBC Gardeners and the Royal Horticultural Society - both of whom should know considerably better.  One day they'll learn. 

But back to the Telegraph pieces.  The first, by Graham Rice, is simply about growing it, and suggest that you can buy your GYO kit from Tenbury English Mistletoe Enterprise (TEME).  The second, by Bunny Guinness, has a bit mmore background info - but is basically just another GYO guide.  But Bunny advocates a different GYO supplier - Nick Wheeldon of Lincolnshire and does bring in a new angle - Nick is now selling trees 'ready-infected' with mistletoe. 

Now that is a different ball-game altogether - and I'm very pleased (and very impressed) that Nick has started this - a scheme which has been discusssed in mistletoe society?/circles? for some time.  Trees cost £50 with at least three small germinated mistletoe plants growing in them.

Seasonality issues:  One of the troubles with GYO mistletoe accounts (other than the bark-cutting nonsense) is that they tend to appear at Christmas - but planting season is in February.  Which means they're not generally very helpful for Christmas.  But Nick's ready-infected trees are available now - and so make an ideal Christmas Gift Go to Nick's website for details... 

Alternatively (if buying for Christmas) consider the GYO Kit Gift Card from TEME - which at least gives something (an attractive card) to hand over at Christmas, albeit only containing a voucher to send in for a kit to be sent out, in February.

Buying mistletoe online in the UK

The opportunity to buy mistletoe online in the UK is relatively new - in fact I don't think you could at all until TEME began trading back in 2005.  Over in the States things were different - but then so is their mistletoe - which is small, compact in branching, and easily slips into an envelope. 

The downside is that the US stuff is really uninspiring, and begs the question of why anyone would want to buy it at all. Check out the picture...  I'm not even going to mention the plastic berries they add...

But here in the UK, where the kissing custom began, we use real mistletoe - the proper species of tradition. 

And it's long and leggy and difficult to post...  So I thought I'd do a quick check on who's in the business this season:

First and foremost has to be TEME - Tenbury English Mistletoe Enterprise, who despite my being involved with them and therefore arguably biased, must be regarded as the 'original and best'.  Though only 3 years old. 

I think this is the only outfit that can honestly say that mistletoe is largely picked to order - from tree to delivery within 2-3 days.

Next up there's InterRose.co.uk - who've been in the mistletoe mail-order business for at least 2 seasons, selling Tenbury stock from their base in Suffolk.

They major in, er, red roses, but branch out (geddit?) into mistletoe at Christmas.

And then it all gets a bit vague.  InterFlora have a Google ad that pops with a mistletoe keyword, but if you search their site for mistletoe, you just get a note saying "did you mean 'nestled?'".  So nil points for the grand-daddy of floral mail-order.

But there's a new boy on the block this season. Mistletoestore.co.uk's site has just launched, and sells 'Luxury' mistletoe.  Am not sure where they're based (the url is registered in Manchester) or how well they'll do, as the website takes an age to load (optimise those pics please!), and isn't particularly straightforward to read (lots of L to R scrolling, and new window opening) when loaded.  But I assume those are teething troubles - and will be solved in due course.  Good luck to them.

Lastly we have the usual suspects selling mistletoe on Ebay - but I don't count them as they're not (yet) volume sellers, largely just selling a few sprigs.

Mistletoe in the Newspapers - not a lot yet

Despite all the TV interest in the auctions so far this year, there's not been a lot in the newspapers.  A bit in the local papers around Tenbury - good coverage of the Mistletoe Festival in the Tenbury Advertiser (though not yet in their online ed), but ousted by Worcester Christmas celebrations in Worcester News.  And apparently I made the front page of the Shropshire Star on 27th Nov - but I've not seen that, only this rather unlikely explanation ('the birds have eaten them all') for the lack of holly berries this year.  Why not just admit it's been a poor year for holly berries? 

Not much in the nationals.  The Daily Mail promised a piece on buying mistletoe online last weekend - but that came to nothing.  The Daily Telegraph sent their photographer to this week's auction (see pic) but I don't think they used a pic, apart from in their online edition, (scroll through to the 8th image) and that's credited to the Reuters man, so I'm a bit confused.

But the Telegraph have run a piece on how to grow your own, and it's not a bad piece either, resisting the usual rubbish about cutting nicks in the bark and instead telling it like it really is, and how to plant it like the birds do.  As Stan Yapp likes to say ' the birds are the professionals [at planting mistletoe], we are just the amateurs'. 

Plastic Mistletoe - why is it so popular?

If you've followed the various mistletoe blogs over the last few years you'll know that I really really hate plastic mistletoe.

At this year's Mistletoe Ball I gave a short speech on the perils of plastic - if you don't keep up the tradition of using the real stuff we risk celebrating/kissing under plastic stuff - and all the tat that comes with it.  Like the Musical Mistletoe - a crowd-pleasing bunch of plastic mistletoe with a motion detector, that plays tinny Christmas tunes when you approach it.  Be grateful when the battery runs down.

Or Mistletoe-branded Condoms, complete with tiny sprig of plastic mistletoe - "because you nver know what that kiss may lead to..."

Now you might think all of this stuff was limited to the cheaper end of the market - but no, it gets everywhere.  On TV you regularly see plastic mistletoe being used - even on shows where they are promoting the real thing - last week's mistletoe feature on ITV 'This Morning' had plastic in shot, and on the accompanying website, despite it being expressly about the real thing.  And I had to tell Ainsley off for having plastic mistletoe on set when I promoted real mistletoe on 'Ready Steady Cook'.

Ah, but that's the media, they're allowed to be a bit tacky aren't they.  So what about the National Trust then, those guardians of Britain's traditions?  Surely they wouldn't have plastic mistletoe? 

Yes they do - as the main feature of one of their Christmas Cards for 2007 - despite describing it as "The modern tradition of kissing under the mistletoe may be more to do with 18th century fashions rather than earlier folklore associated with mistletoe. A very British thing, it is hardly practised anywhere, other than in Englishspeaking countries. "  No mention of the fact that the pic is of Plastic Mistletoe, probably Made in China, and modelled on American Mistletoe. 

What sort of 'very British thing' is that???   Get a grip, National Trust.

Mistletoe Auctions 2007 Auction #2

Tuesday Dec 4th, and the second of the traditional three Tenbury Wells Mistletoe Auctions.

As described last week, the venue is out of town this year, and, like last week, there's a steady patter of drizzley rain from a grey sky.  But lots of mistletoe.

Prices for mistletoe are still low, there's too much good stuff about this season, though holly prices are much higher, and there are more holly lots this week than last.

Everything goes as normal, the new site already seems familiar (though, as stated last week, is hopefully temporary, with a return to a town site next year?).

 

 

 

I'm half-expecting to meet a French grower here, but no sign of him, maybe he changed his mind.  But there are the usual other suspects hanging about - me, Stan Yapp, and the usual round of buyers.  Stan (pictured left) and I have a good chat about mistletoe issues, and the media interest.  He's here to meet up witha local journalist, and I'm doing a piece with AP's TV service.  The Telegraph's photographer and a photographer from Reuters are also here.   

Talking of media, the ITV footage shot last week is being broadcast as we watch the sales - David Domoney is presenting a short film on mistletoe, largely based on the auctions.  You can see it again here - don't be put off by the irelevant ad at the start.

Mistletoe Harvest - French-style?

Sunday 2nd Dec - and a day spent harvesting mistletoe.  I'm out with TEME, the online mistletoe trading group from Tenbury, and we have a number of largish orders to fulfill in the next few days.

Since TEME only deal in 'processed' mistletoe - ie mistletoe tready to be used, not 'raw' on the branch we want to minimise the amount of waste we take back to the barn - so we have a team of 4, 2 in the trees (an apple orchard, naturally) and 2 on the ground, cuttting into lengths and putting straight into crates, for transfer to postal boxes later. 

Very very labour-intensive, and it's a bit cold and windy too.  But fascinating nevertheless.  I haven't brought my camera, but wish I had, as our small group, half up trees and half on the ground with cates, look just like those 1920s and 30s pics I have (see previous blogs and pics here) of the French harvest (for export to Britain). 

Mistletoe Day 2007 #3

Last leg of the day starts at dusk - the druidic ceremonies are over, and I'm back in a Stewarding role, along with the Round Table vols.  This time it's the Christmas Lights switch-on, and the preceding entertainment - a fire show. 

No pics I'm afraid, as Caroline and I are too busy stopping small children from getting run over.  The crowd has arrived in good time, but the road closure is for a limited period, and hasn't started yet (this is the only A-Road through town, and we have to close this and the bridge) .  The roadway gets gradually narrower as the crown increases so it's a great relief when the road is finally closed, and the chap on the PA can stop exhorting people to get back on the pavements.  An over-keen bus driver tries to get through at the last minute, but he's seen off by a policewoman.

First up is the fireshow (BTW, I've not mentioned performers by name, but you can see all of them and the schedules in this pdf leaflet), an impressive live fire juggling act , with intermittent fire-breathing - don't try this at home kids.

Then it's the lights switch-on, for which Mistletoe Queen Sally, and her attendant Kirsty, reappear.  Lights are then switched on... and fuel slight controversy as they been cut back this year for H&S reasions - just 2 weeks before their erection most were deemed to be too dangerous to use, so it looks a weeny bit sparse.  We'll do better next year.

Then it's time for the Santa procession, and time for our PA man to rouse the crowd into shouting for Santa.  He duly appears, in horse and cart, accomapnied by the town band and choral society singing carols and followed by the primary school children and parents, each brandishing a lantern they've made in school.  And off they go round the corner towards Santa's Grotto, set up in St Mary's Church...

Which means we can go and rest, for about 30 minutes.  As the next event is the Mistletoe Ball - off with the fluorescent vest, on with the suit, and prep my (v) short after dinner speech - this year my theme is mistletoe tat - plastic mistletoe, mistletoe condoms, and musical mistletoe... 

Maybe I'll cover that another in another blog entry.

Mistletoe Day 2007 #2 (Druid ceremony)

Lunchtime, but no time for food, we need to get things ready for the Druid Ceremony.  Off to the Pump Rooms where a schools project, with children drawing mistletoe, has been underway all morning - with impressive results (no pics, sorry) but which will be taken over by the Druids programme soon.

 

 

Lots of Druids already turning up, from all over - Yorkshire, Dorset, North Wales, Manchester, Norfolk and locally.  The overall organising group is the Druidic Mistletoe Foundation, the group who've been here for the auctions over the last 2 years (see previous blogs...).

 

 

This year the plan is different - not so much a blessing of the crop, but more a celebration of Tenbury's mistletoe traditions, and a healing ceremony, using mistletoe's reputation as an all-heal to help Tenbury recover from the devastating floods of the summer.  And because the plan is different there has to be an open discussion about what will be covered - these druid ceremonies are very democratic.  So everyone sits in a circle in the pump rooms and debates the ceremony - which takes a little time. 

 

 

 

 

I stand near the door to check for the arrival of spectators and am gradually overwhelmed by people appearing in 2s and 3s - asking where the ceremony will be, have I missed it yet etc etc.  I explain, many times, that the event is being planned democratically inside the building, and that they can go and watch if they like - and so they do, eventually getting to a point where I can't get in, so I don't know what's being planned, but I've got a fair idea.

When all's done we all emerge, I set up a tripod (of French mistletoe harvesting tools) to hang the mistletoe from, and to form the centre of the circle, and we're off.  And The Sun Comes Out!!  Lasting until the minute the ceremony ends. Very weird.

The ceremony itself involves calling the quarters Spirits of the North, south, east and west), symbolic blood-letting (with red wine from Spar) to represent the white bulls mentioned in Pliny's account of druidic ceremonies, blessings for Tenbury and mistletoe, and individual contributions from all those present (who include Rod and Rue Chapman, mistletoe-enthusiasts from Norfolk). 

 

Plus some sharing of bread - which, with passing the wine around too, is very reminiscent of Christian traditions too - which is, I think, what I said the first time i saw one of these ceremonies about 4 years ago. So much similarity exists across religions - and yet there is so much animosity between (most of) them.  Crazy.

A longish do - lasting the best part of an hour, and attracting a lot of attention from passers by, and the spectators who've been here form the start.  And then we all troop back indoors for a chat about druidic traditions, the work of the Mistletoe Foundation and a musical performance by Stefan and Paul, 2 of the key players in the MF.

Then back to the rest of the Mistletoe Festival... see next entry...

Mistletoe Day 2007 #1

Long, tiring, but very rewarding...  That was National Mistletoe Day 2007, Saturday December 1st.  All of this year's Mistletoe Festival activities were crammed into the one day, so there was quite a lot on...

We started in Gloucestershire, worrying about the forecast rain, and dashing off to get some mistletoe for the Druids.  They were due to do a ceremony later, using mistletoe that hadn't touched the ground, so I cropped some from an orchard in Haresfield (the one where the balloon landed - see previous blogs), so that I could be sure of its status. 

Then off to Tenbury - a 75 minute journey with lots to do when we get there.  Starting with decorating the town with mistletoe...  I had dropped off two crates of mistletoe at the Tenbury Tourist Office yesterday afternoon - and this was due to be carried round to all the shops, so each could have mistletoe hanging outside.  We were behind schedule, so this was a tall order, but most shops were visited, and all but one (Scrooge the jeweller) were happy to participate.

 

I was on Stewarding duty - so should have been helping the street entertainment, but soon realised, as several costumed stilt-walkers passed us on our mistletoe deliveries, that the street entertainment was already well underway, with or without my help....

Though a dull morning, the rain held off, and stilt walking 'Christmas Trees' and 'Camels' (a pantomime horse on stilts!) livened the place up very quickly.  Round the back of the Royal Oak there were Mummers Plays, Period Music, and most importantly for us, COFFEE.

   

   

But I've missed a bit... The Crowning of The Queen!  This was at about 11.15, before the mummers etc started.  Our Mistletoe Queen and attendant (Tenbury High School Head Girl and Deputy HG) arrived by Rolls Royce, looking a bit cold, and hung around waiting for Queen Victoria (who is, as I'm sure you know, a time-traveller [probably due to that meeting with Dr Who in the mistletoe v werewolf episode]).

Soon afterwards Queen V turns up and regales the crowd with how happy she is returning to her 'town in the orchard' , which she first visited in 1833 when she was a 14-year-old Princess.  She took tea at The Bridge Hotel.  Very convincing patter, you'd never guess that Alec Wall and I had to jog her memory on these points only the day before (using telephonic communication equipment, amazing what these Victorians can do). 

Mtoe Queen (Sally Neath) is invited on stage (yes we do have a stage, in the street) and duly crowned, with an enormous mistletoe crown.  Her deputy, Kirsty Davies, gets a smaller one, and Head and Deputy Head Boys Ben Blackmore and Tim Goom stand around in uniform, looking slightly embarrassed. 

All good stuff, with lots of press pictures.  And our new Queen will return later for the lights...  Meanwhile Victoria and her lady-in waiting tour the streets of Tenbury, in character, with Vic clutching a guide to Osbourne House, IoW- I know she likes it there, but not sure why she needs it here, maybe she's thinking of building something similar?  Now that would definitely put Tenbury on the map - the shade of Victoria builds a mansion....

But it's time to prepare for the Druids... and I'll report on that in the next entry, this is already too long.

Norfolk Mistletoe Hunt

If you live in Norfolk, or are just passing through this winter, have a look out for mistletoe.  The Norfolk Wildlife Trust are appealing for sightings, to help them understand the current status and distribution of the plant in their county. 

You can find a pdf survey form here, and read more about the survey here.  Printed forms are available by writing (with an SAE) to Mistletoe Survey, NWT, 22 Thorpe Road, Norwich, NR1 1RY. The survey runs until the end of January.

Norfolk is well outside mistletoe's main UK range, so there probably never was much of it in the area - but there are suggestions it is rarer than it was, particualrly with the loss of traditional apple orcahrds, the favourite host/habitat.

I'll be reviewing the national data over the winter - and will be passing on relevant info.  I can think of several small populations in Suffolk - but that doesn't count.  But there is a good mistletoe population in an avenue of trees in a King's Lynn Park.

I'll be seeing Rod Chapman, Norfolk's Mistletoe Man, in Tenbury Wells on Saturday - so might have more info on the survey then...

Tuesday - Mistletoe Auction #1

The big day is finally here - the first ever Tenbury Mistletoe Auction that's not in Tenbury....

I'm there first, almost.  At 0730 hours the place is dark, drizzly and cold.  Remarkably similar to yesterday afternoon in fact (see last but one blog entry).  Only Eric (one of Nick Champion's staff) and a lone holly wreath seller in sight.   

I'm here early to meet the ITV This Morning film-crew, here with their gardening reporter David Domony to film a piece about mistletoe, and supplement another one about holly.  They're due at 7.30 - but arrive at just after 8.00 - so I got cold and wet a bit earlier than needed...

Never mind, it all helps build the sense of expectation for the day, and I get to see the site fill with people and vehicles, at first slowly but increasingly chaotic from about 9.30 onwards.  Holly Wreath sales being at 10.00, with mistletoe at 11.00.

 

 

   

ITV want me to chat with David (pictured) and explain what it;s all about and why I'm a little obsessed (?) with mistletoe.  We have plenty of time and do a few takes walking up and down the mistletoe wraps laid out on the ground.  But we eventually get a bit cold and inactive by about 9.15, so it's a great relief when the crowds finally arrive.  Lots of buyers and sellers - but v few of the bystanders we traditionally get at these dos - but that's because we're not in the middle of Tenbury. 

It's more than a little controversial, this moving out of town, and when I venture into Tenbury later, around 12.30, several shop-keepers comment on how quiet the town is and what a shame, for the town and the auctions, that the 2 have parted company for this year.  There's a lot of speculation about what this means for the future.  But at least the town still has the Mistletoe Festival.

Anyway, back to the auctions - once Nick has started selling the holly wreaths and the crowds disperse away from the mistletoe I settle down to taking some pics in the mid-morning light (dunno why, i just do this every year, one day i'll get the perfect mistletoe pic...).  ITV are busy filming other bits and pieces and don't need me anymore - but when I look up from the camera there they are again, filming me taking pics!!

Sky News turn up about this time, and run off a quickie interview about the change of location with me just before the crowds converge on the mistletoe at 11.00 and spoil the view.  Reg and Alec from TEME are there, monitoring prices, and Stan Yapp is there watching to see how much his stock goes for.  Prices for mistletoe are low - about 30p per pound weight, which will be disappointing to the growers, there's just too much around this year, and its all very well-berried...

Lots of photographers about too - local (Shropshire Star) and national (London freelancers) - and with the crowds, the atmosphere is not to dissimilar to the traditional auction site in town.  But  where are the people with shopping bags, just popping in to have a quick look?  And how much trade (snacks, lunches, coffees, papers, car-parking fees(!)) has Tenbury lost out on with the buyers all being here?.

My worries (see recent blog entries and read this) about sustainable harvesting seem very relevant to some of the lots - whole tree branches with mistletoe attached (see pic) - now that is definitely not sustainable!

Stan's in the media again (and so am I)

Warming up at Alec Wall's house in Tenbury Wells and discussing the arrangements for this Saturday's Mistletoe Ball.  (Tickets available from Alec on 01584 810479).

We wonder whether Stan's coming - so I ring him up.  It's exactly 17:20.  He answers immediately, and when he realises it's me says he's expecting an urgent call, at 17:20 and would I ring off.  But Stan I say, I only want to know whether you're coming to the Ball.  Ask me later he says, and rings off!

Very odd.

But all is explained/revealed 30 minutes later when I'm on the road home, listening to BBC Radio 2 and the Chris Evans Show.  Christoff is wittering on (as one does on radio) and suddenly says how nice it was to talk to the Mistletoe King just now.  Of course!  Stan was expecting the BBC - that's why he was so bothered - and he's been talking to Christoff about mistletoe. 

And I missed it.  But you can 'listen again' here (the official, but short-lived BBC link - it's about 18 minutes into the prog.) or here (an unofficial recording - to be uploaded soon). Some of Stan's info is a bit suspect:  Amongst the fifiest rare plants of Britain?  I don't think so Stan!  But it's good stuff for the media...

(Tuesday Postcript:  Stan apologises for the abrupt phone call when we meet at the auctions, explains that he was due to talk on the radio to Chris Someone...  Not Chris Evans? I say  Yes, says Stan, Never heard of him before! (Sorry Chris!).

Meanwhile, in a curious quirk of reverse media ageism my 'Mistletoe Anorak' piece appears in The Oldie magazine - the same day that Stan (74) speaks to the Chris Evans Show (popular with (30-)40-somethings like me). 

Monday 26th - the new auction site

Off to Tenbury to make preparations for tomorrow's auctions, particualrly for the media visits.  I'm hoping to promote the Mistletoe Festival (which is on Saturday 1st) but I know very well that most of the media are only interested in the auctions, particularly this year's changes - the auction has finally moved out of town from the old cattle market site.  This is not a good thing for Tenbury - but has been expected for some years - see mistletoe Blogs passim.

The official explanation for this year is that the Cattle Market site is virtually unusable - with Severn-Trent Water digging holes all over the place and various other problems, it's probably just not practical to hold the auctions there.  But the threat of redevelopment of the site is still real - and so this move out of town may not be temporary.

So off I go to the new site which is on a sports ground close to little Hereford, a few miles to the west of Tenbury (and not to be confused with 'Big' Hereford - which is much further away to the SW).  If you're looking at the multimap link - the red circle marks the spot - I know that should be obvious but I had to explain this to a journalist yesterday...  Obviously not an investigative one....

It's a horrible day - dark, drizzling and generally cold.  The site is, as Nick Champion has told me on the phone, large - plenty of space for the stock to be laid out and for vehicles to park, turn and (at the old site) to cause chaos during the auctions.

Only Nick there today, surveying the newly arrived mistletoe stock in the rain (see pic - note the romantic dead lorry trailers in the mist).  We have a brief chat, largely about the media due tomorrow (ITV This Morning and SKy News) and local orchards where they might go to see mistletoe au naturel. 

I have a few in mind already, Nick suggests some others and I toddle off to talk to the local farmers - ending up at (the slightly muddy) Little Hereford Farm where the Stevens have their dairy herd - and where there are mistletoe-filled orchards that they are quite happy for ITV to film on site in the morning.

Off to Tenbury to warm up...

First Mistletoe Auction Soon...

The weekend of the 24th/25th November - and the start of the mistletoe trading season.  Newspaper coverage already in a small way - the Saturday editions of both the Telegraph and the Guardian carry pictures of Stan Yapp, Tenbury Wells' Mistletoe Man, doing his harvesting for delivery to the Tuesday auctions.

The Guardian pic is nicely enigmatic - a close-up of Stan's jacket lapels and a top pocket full of mistletoe.  No evidence that it is actually Stan - though he assures me on the phone that it is.  There's no story, just a caption about Stan as the Mistletoe King - which he finds a bit embarrassing!  It's not on the Guardian online, so can't do a link - maybe I'll upload a Stan scan later...

The Telegraph piece is also very short, but falls back on the old (yawn) stand-by of Stan on a ladder against a tree holding mistletoe - these pictures appear EVERY YEAR!!  Perhaps the Guardian was quite bright to use the close-up - at least it's different!   See the Telegraph piece here...

Mistletoe (Orchards) Wanted to show Best Practice

It's been so busy on the mistletoe front over the last week or so I've not had time to blog, but here's a brief, but important, announcement (other updates on what's been going on will follow soon...).

Mistletoe Orchards Wanted!! 
As part of my work to promote sustainable management of mistletoe I've just launched a modest initiative to find apple orchards which can be used to experiment with/demonstrate best practice. 

What's the problem??  Well, good mistletoe husbandry – pruning to limit damage to the host tree, whilst ensuring a continued mistletoe crop – is becoming rare. Too many old apple orchards have become overwhelmed by mistletoe, often because the valueless unberried male plants are left untouched at Christmas. This is a growing problem for both traditional orchards and for the future mistletoe crop. In just a few years we will see yet more old apple trees succumb to the increased senescence and susceptibility to wind-blow that can be caused by uncontrolled mistletoe, particularly by large male plants. The loss of these trees will, in turn, lead to a shortage of harvestable mistletoe. (Mistletoe ‘in the wild’ – in limes, poplars and willows, is self-managing and unthreatened, but is unharvestable too!)

There's no funding, yet, for this demonstration project, so I think it will start small - but I'll be looking into possible grant-aid schemes soon.  The initial plan is just to get the idea disseminated around orchard owners and conservation groups, hoping that some will volunteer their sites for this season.  Full details are available in this pdf download - you'll see I'm looking particularly at apple orchards in the "3 Counties" (Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire) where mistletoe is fairly pelntiful, but I'll consider further afield too. 

More soon...

Apple Daze

The end of October is in sight – and that means the end of the Apple Day season.  We’ve been to so many this year, and over such a long period, that they’re more of an Apple Daze than Apple Days.

We started at the Glasu apple event in Brecon and have since taken in events in Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Dorset, missing (much to my embarrassment) the Apple Fest at Tenbury, Worcestershire (though I did spend some of that day in a mistletoe-filled apple orchard)

At Much Marcle’s Big Apple events, 2 weeks ago, I gave one of my mistletoe miscellany talks, after spending time wandering round local orchards, and sampling James Gregg’s cider.  Not my best performance – as the digital projector remote stopped working, really b*gg**ing up my timing, but it seemed to go down fairly well nevertheless.

Today I think it’s probably all over for the season, as we’ve just returned from the Apple Day at the Kingcombe Centre in Dorset, set in the midst of hundreds of acres of Dorset Wildlife Trust grassland reserve.  A relaxed day, with Caroline and I just visiting - no duties today.  The centre, run independently of the DWT reserve, is a field centre running a variety of courses, and serving fabulous food from local sources.  For Apple Day we had just had to sample the apple and parsnip soup, apple ploughman’s lunches, apple cake, apple flapjacks, apple muffins – you get the idea. 

There was thick local ham served with the ploughmans – and whilst eating it we had appropriate views of Baldrick, an elderly large white boar in the kitchen garden.  And I had a long chat later with his friend Peggy, a saddleback sow.  I found she has a weakness for cider apples, and, as a result, is now my friend for life. 

Mistletoe is virtually unknown in this part of Dorset and they have none in the small orchard adjoining the centre – maybe I’ll come back in planting season next February…