We are extremely grateful to Cllr Toni Coombs for organising a Twelfth Night Celebration in support of John’s Foundation.

Saturday 4th January 7-10.30 at Crane Valley Golf Club

Tickets £40 per person to include a 3 course meal

Please email Toni at verwoodtoni@btinternet.com to book your tickets and payment can be made as detailed above.

This is sure to be a fun evening as this celebration marks the end of the Christmas season and was traditionally, a time for feasting, games, and merrymaking. One of the key features is the "King Cake," which contains a hidden bean or pea. The person who finds it is crowned the "King" or "Queen" for the night, leading the celebrations.

Before dark Wassail (spiced apple punch) is prepared. The villagers would gather in the orchard after dark with the Wassail in hand and proceed to bang pots, shoot off guns and make a racket to ward of any evil spirits lurking around on the last night of Christmas. The commotion was thought to help wake up the trees from their winter hibernation. The trees were blessed thanks and urged with rhyming chants to produce an even better crop in the new year. The most venerable tree was ‘toasted’ with a piece of wassail soaked bread and placed in its branches.