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  • England's Mistletoe Capital prepares for a season of berry kisses

    Posted: Oct 17 2012

    Christmas Magic starts in Tenbury Wells

    Tenbury Wells in Worcestershire really comes alive in late November, with a programme of seasonal events in the run up to Christmas and New Year. But this beautiful country town has a close association with the magic, myth and mystery of the mistletoe plant that makes it unique.

    A key date in the local calendar is Saturday 1st December – National Mistletoe Day – when the history and tradition of Christmas are celebrated with a colourful procession and a Ceremony of Peace and Thanksgiving that honours the Mistletoe.

    Festival Project Manager, Caroline Palethorpe, explains;- “The Mistletoe Foundation procession makes its way across the Teme Bridge from Burford to Tenbury at 2pm. This is followed by a ceremony on the Burgage that includes the now traditional crowning of the Head Girl from Tenbury High School as our Mistletoe Queen and the Head Boy as her Holly Prince. Local shops, pubs and restaurants will be decorated for the season and it will be a magical day out for visitors from across the region “.

    The celebrations will be preceded by a silent film “The Mistletoe Bride”, at...

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  • A visit to KissMe HQ

    Posted: Oct 15 2012

    An article inspired by a visit to Tenbury Wells and kissmemistletoeHQ back in 2010

    Pretty much all the poplars, limes and willows, as well as hawthorns and lots of the craggy fruit trees in the great numbers of orchards in this part of the world, bear airy, silhouetted, spherical masses of mistletoe.

    For Tenbury Wells is widely acknowledged to be "the mistletoe capital of Britain". Mistletoe auctions have been held here for more than 100 years. When they were threatened with closure a few years ago, the local people were determined to preserve their mistletoe legacy. In 2004, they initiated an annual mistletoe festival with a procession led by druids.

    Suzanne Thomas, a practising druid who takes part in the festival, says: "It's magic. It's just amazing stuff. It's got this lovely energy about it."

    Its appeal is easy to discern. The berries stand out, white and slightly shiny, scattered over what looks like two massive stork's nests, packed back to back.

    The mistletoe clouds are usually spaced pretty evenly...

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