Defena, Defenascir late 9th cent. ‘(Territory of) the Devonians earlier called the Dumnonii’

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The Royal Oak - South Brent - Devon

2010

350th Anniversary

"This year marks the 350th anniversary... and we at the Royal Oak in South Brent felt that as May 29th happens to fall on the Saturday of the bank holiday weekend this year it would be a good opportunity to re-establish the tradition.

As we have enjoyed recent success by being voted CAMRA pub of the year for South Devon in both 2007 and 2009 we felt that a real ale and cider festival would be an appropriate way to celebrate the event. There will be over 20 real ales and ciders for people to try.

Staff will be dressed in period costumes and there will be music and feasting, with a buffet on the Saturday night, a music quiz and a raffle to raise money for St Luke's hospice.

To keep with the nettle theme we have also decided to hold a nettle eating competition on the Saturday night from 8.00pm.

There will be more music and a BBQ & (hopefully) hog roast on the Sunday to keep the weekend flowing.

I'm not sure there will be any actual whipping with nettles involved, but maybe people coming along should wear an oak apple just in case!

I hope you find this of interest and will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have. An itinerary for the weekend follows:

Friday 28th May

5.30 pm - Start of real ale festival - 20+ local real ales and ciders

Ales priced at £1.50 per half, or buy 10 tickets for £13.00

Saturday 29th May

12 noon onwards - continuation of real ale festival

Folk Music

6 to 9.00 pm - traditional buffet

8.00 pm - nettle eating competition

9.00 pm - music quiz

Sunday 30th May

12 noon onwards - continuation of real ale festival

12 to 2.00 pm - traditional Sunday lunches

2 to 6.00 pm - BBQ and Hog Roast (hopefully)

Folk Music

Raffle draw in aid of St Lukes Hospice

Link

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'In the vicinity of Starcross the children celebrate this anniversary by carrying about what they call May babies, i.e., little dolls, carefully and neatly dressed, decked with flowers, and laid in boxes somewhat resembling coffins, though such resemblance is not, apparently, the intention of the artists'.—N. & Q. 2nd S. vol. ii. p. 405.

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In the Every Day Book (1826, vol. i. p. 718) occurs the following:— 'At Tiverton, on the 29th of May, it is customary for a number of young men, dressed in the style of the seventeenth century, and armed with swords, to parade the streets, and gather contributions from the inhabitants. At the head of the procession walks a man called "Oliver," dressed in black, with his face and hands smeared over with soot and grease, and his body bound by a strong cord, the end of which is held by one of the men to prevent his running too far. After these come another troop, dressed in the same style, each man bearing a large branch of oak; four others, carrying a kind of throne made of oaken boughs, on which a child is seated, bring up the rear. A great deal of merriment is excited among the boys at the pranks of "Master Oliver," who capers about in a most ludicrous manner. Some of them amuse themselves by casting dirt, whilst others, more mischievously inclined, throw stones at him: but woe betide the young urchin who is caught; his face assumes a most awful appearance from the soot and grease with which " Oliver begrimes it, whilst his companions, who have been lucky enough to escape his clutches, testify their pleasure by loud shouts. In the evening the whole party have a feast, the expenses of which are defrayed by the collection made in the morning.

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Every Royal Oak Day in Witheridge, Devon, there was traditionally a procession round the village. Girls wore a sprig of Oak, but if they did not, the boys pinched them. There were sideshows, roundabouts and swing boats in The Square. People used to come from miles around and hundreds sat down to lunch in a marquee in Bell Close...