Beerfordbury Barrel Tappers and Wine Tipplers Association

Rehearsals Itinery

"purveyors of superior quality Folk and silliness to the Gentry and the populace"

For HISTORICAL NOTES & explanations see  "The Beerfordbury Bugle"

    Egon Toastes Wassailled Hostelries Guide here!

** After a gruelling season, during which the Crew forced themselves to cross the threshold of around forty three public houses, the 1999 Wassail Crew collected £1,091.46 - this will be further enhanced because DIXONS group are sponsoring Sally under their employee initiative and are likely to make a further very generous direct donation to the charities. **

THANK YOU - to all the landlords who let us come in, all the customers who dug into their pockets and suffered our choral peculiarities, to the Dixons Group for their sponsorship and all our families who let us go out dressed like twerps when we should have been in Sainsburys, digging up Christmas trees or slaughtering turkeys. (Try doing that in Sainsburys & see what you get - ed)

Extra Special mention is due to Sally, as she gave up a glittering Christmas do - posh frocks & bubbly, the lot - in order to complete the 1999 tour and warble the baubles off the citizens of Sawbridgeworth. Congratulations are especially due to the Ladies generally for their thorough inspection of all the beery halls they came upon during their peregrenations.

** All proceeds will be divided between Lupus UK and The MS Society. **

High-class Mumming done to order! if you would like to book a side for your fete or fair, we'd like to talk to you - please call or E-mail.

Reasonable rates - ad-hoc busking often comes free with a mumm. N W Step-Clogging frequently available. 

For information on Mumming, go here or for notes on Hocktide, see this.

Getting in touch

The BBTWTA is a wholly voluntary group dedicated to the practice of tradition. Fees for mumming generally go to support the Stortfolk Music Club and/or Pegleg Unicorn. Proceeds from the Wassail (except free beer) always go to charity with no deductions for kit or refreshment.

Recent Events :

Goulburn, The Australian Tour 1999

Wassailing 1998 - our hardy crew of wassailers collected £1,045 during their annual pre-Christmas Wassail, touring pubs from Saffron Walden to Puckeridge.  The money will be divided this year between two charities of local significance - LUPUS and MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS.  A cheque was presented at the club on 7 January.

Hronov / the Jirasec Festival 1998 (Bohemia)

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1999  WASSAIL UPDATE #3

HOT NEWS dateline :  just after late closing:

** The 1999 Wassail raised £1,091.46 - this will be further enhanced because DIXONS group are sponsoring Sally and have very generously agreed to match the collection up to £1,000 ! **

** All proceeds will be divided between Lupus UK and The MS Society. **

Regulars will know that we share some members with both these charities

Rehearsals:

TOURS:  MAPS - Road --- Places

The 1999 Wassail was inflicted on the bemused populace as follows:

WORDS: (press)

Egon Toaste's Wassailed Hostelries Guide (press)

Standing Orders:

If you need spare tatters, try Jacqui or Mac & Hil . If you have spare tatters please advise.

Tours leave at 7:30pm prompt. If you miss the start point, please use the Itinery & catch up. Or 'phone - notes give mobile numbers where we have them.

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Entries for the Alternative Wassail competition 1999
hadn't the heart to judge these - so they all won !

Entry #1 .... Entry #2 .... Entry #3 -

Entry #1

( from a Mr McNamara of Beerfordbury )

One, Two Three Smelly Lads ...

Here's one, two, three smelly lads - all in a heap

If they stand near the fire they will smell of dead sheep

They will smell of dead sheep as they sing out the King

And demand good beer from you - if you wear a gold ring!

Now the first to sing flat is old Mac on the bass

As he drops his song book and loses his place

His wild bleating notes will cause panic and fear

and wild apprehension until well into New Year ...

Now next to the fray is our Dave with his pipe

And at singing a harmony he'll have a wild swipe

He'll warble it here - he'll warble it there

High, low and sideways - he just doesn't care ....

And the last in the crew is young Geoff on the box

A squeezy piano with a fart like an ox

He'll run up the buttons and slide down the keys

And rupture his buttocks when the dust makes him sneeze ...

So Ladies and Gentlemen - quaking in fear

Pull out your purses and fill us with beer

Fill us with beer - until we feel no pain

And do it right now - else we'll sing again ...

Here's one, two, three smelly lads - all in a heap

If they stand near the fire they will smell of dead sheep

They will smell of dead sheep as they murder a song

You will smell them for weeks - even after they've gone

Entry #2

from Norah Handscombe, MHP (Mus)

a) Tune - we Three Kings .....................................b) Tune - God rest you merry

Wassail, wassail, all through the towns .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. God rest you merry, Gentlemen -

wearing hats and very strange gowns .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Likewise the ladies too

singing rowdily .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..Although we are a tattered ten

walking poudily .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .We'll sing a song to you

rattling tins for crowns .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. And if you put some pennies in

(Chorus) .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Our tin, we'll sing again

Oh.... Christmas comes but once a year .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .Or we'll go on our way through wind & rain

When it comes we'll give a cheer .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Wind & rain

Altogether, whatever the weather .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. We will go on our way & sing again

sing and drink another beer

'tis the season of goodwill

so think of folk who're sad or ill

Don't be greedy, help the needy

then you can drink your fill.

(chorus)

Entry #3 By Emma Wisker (aged 13&1/12) (at the time)
 The 12 Days of Christmas

It's the first day of Christmas, and can you get for me

A talking Christmas Tree?

It's the second day of Christmas, and can you get for me

Two Lap Tops

And A talking Christmas Tree? ..... etc up to

It's the twelfth day of Christmas and can you get for me

12 Colour TV's

11 VCR's

10 C D Roms

9 Electric Keyboards

8 Personal Pagers

7 Filofaxes

6 C D Players

5 Mobile Phones

4 Ferraris

3 Internet

2 Laptops

And a Talking Christmas Tree