Collected from Billy Buckingham by Gwilym Davies February 1970 and later by Gwilym and Carol Davies on 13 February 1999.
| Archive Recordings: Billy Buckingham talks about going wassailing Billy sings the song |
Billy Buckingham talking about wassailingBilly Buckingham singing the song | |
| Song Manuscripts | Song as collected | Use collected copy to sing |
Woodchester/Kingscourt – Up to about the time of World War I, a group of three boys, from 12 year old, including Billy’s uncle Albert, went round the farms and big houses of the Woodchester/Kingscourt area at Christmas including Little Britain Farm. They took a wassail bowl in a wicker basket which was really a chamber pot decorated with holly. They dressed in women’s clothes and blacked their faces. In return for singing, they were given money and cider! On a good evening, they would earn £3 apiece. Billy Buckingham learnt the song in the pub at Kingscourt.
Note by Gwilym Davies November 2011