There are many things that make Guildford unique but one of them is definitely the Twelfth Night celebrations. The Pilgrim Morris Men mark the end of Christmastime on the night of 6 January, performing a traditional mummers play in all the pubs up Guildford High Street. The play tells the story of St George and the Turkish Knight - a simple allegory of good versus evil and also a great opportunity for cheering, booing, heckling and getting a bit drunk. The storyteller regales the crowd with tales of wit, bravery and cunning, and everyone comes together to sing old carols to even older tunes. The wassail cup goes round everyone in every pub and tonight, as in previous years, a great time will be had by all.
The Pilgrim Morris Men start off in the Star Inn on Quarry Street at 7pm, where they will crown one of their number the Twelfth Night King and hold the first performance. From there they will travel to the King’s Head, thence to the Angel Hotel, the Robin Hood and the Royal Oak. If you want to meet up with them along the way, note that they spend about forty minutes in each pub – just work out where they’ll have got up to!
Guildford is one of the few towns remaining in the country that holds a traditional Twelfth Night celebration. It’s a rare opportunity to experience Olde Englande and loads and loads of fun.
