Stroud Wassail

Stroud Wassail 2019 was a wonderful day, with the streets of our town filled with music, dance, laughter and colour. So many smiling faces all round town. Here are a few memories of the day. Thanks to the photographers who let us use their work.

As always, the fantastic Stroud Community TV has come up with a some wonderful coverage of the day. Thank you to Kate Rendell and Angela Rendell for their superb work.

Following the 2018 Wassail, with  what we raised from the Wassail Mummers tour, the street collection on the day, and various donations from the generous and compassionate people of Stroud, we were able to give £500 each to OPENhouse and Stroud District Foodbank. Here we are presenting the symbolic “big fat cheque” outside the Subscription Rooms at the 2019 Wassail. Waes hael! Photo gallery from the day to follow.

And while all the mayhem is happening around town, you can enjoy some quality ale and quality food in the George Room in the Subs, while watching some brilliant performances from the following acts:

1.45 Swing Rioters

2.10 Rod Penlington

2.35 The Bailey Sisters

3.00 Brad McEwen

3.25 Shepherd’s Crook

3.50 Severn Wonders

4.15 The Gloucester Diamonds

4.40 Blondes with Beards

Here’s our daytime performance timetable for next Saturday. We’re lucky to have two new venues for 2019 – St Laurence Church and Merrywalks. And don’t forget that we also have the Wassail at the Museum in the Park at 3pm with Dartmoor Border Morris and the Stroud Wassail Mummers, and then music, comedy, storytelling and dance in the evening at the Revels.

12 January is shaping up to be an amazing day. There’ll be dancing, music and mummers in the street between 10.30 and 12.30, and again in the afternoon. There’s a whole-day programme of events in St Laurence church, a Wassail song workshop in the Sub Rooms, a procession round the town, music sessions at various pubs around the town, and of course the Wassail ceremonies outside the Subscription Rooms and at the Museum in the Park. So much to see! Head over to our list of street performers to see who’ll be out and about in the streets of Stroud.

We’re ringing the changes for 2019 with a brand new badge! Still featuring that lovable rogue, the Wassail Broad, the new badge will be on sale during the Wassail Mummers tour at the end of December and beginning of January and on the day itself.

The Stroud Wassail Mummers were hard at work today with their last official rehearsal for the Five Valleys Tour prior to the Big Day. Coming to a pub near you over the Christmas/New Year period.

For 2018 St Laurence Church forecourt proved a fantastic backdrop to mumming performances by the Stroud Wassail Mummers, the Suffolk Howlers and the Forest of Dean Mummers. Well, for 2019 the lovely St Laurence team have thrown open their doors as an indoor performance space for the day. Various mummers plays, Shepherd’s Crook folk choir, Merrie Morgana medieval dancers, Boss Morris, Clocs Canton, Appleyard and many more. Chairs to sit on and refreshments are provided. What’s not to like?!

Mummers, morris and other street performer folk are signing up for the Wassail. Head over to the Street Performers page to see who’s signed up so far. It looks as though it’s going to be a massive event again, full of song, dance and laughter – and we’ve even got indoor performance space for if the weather turns bad. (In January? Not a chance!)  Contact us if you want to join in.