a Green Man travels on Blue Water

Okay well I can’t exactly say that the Thames is blue water….but I thought that ‘green man travels on blue water’ sounded quite funky!!

well it does look blue!!!

So aside from that, a few days ago an email popped into my inbox that had me in a right tizz….a friend of mine; Joe, who I met through twitter @rowjoelane told me about an event that involved someone called ‘The Green Man’.  I immediately clicked on the link he provided and ohmygosh…..another London/Thames tradition to get me all excited. “THE HOLLY MAN FROM THE THAMES  To herald the celebration, the extraordinary HOLLY MAN, the winter guise of the GREEN MAN (from our pub signs, pagan myths and folklore), decked in fantastic green garb and evergreen foliage, appears from the River Thames.”

The Twelfth Night poster - image via http://www.thelionspart.co.uk/twelfthnight/index.html

I first ‘met’ Joe through the Lord Mayors Show in 2010 when we connected via twitter.  He and his crew were rowing the Trinity Tide in the show and since I was going to be there we agreed I would wave from the side of the Thames so that they could see me….I waved a pink scarf yelled like mad and they waved from waterside.   Since then Joe has regularly sent me emails with events that were happening on the Thames and whenever I was in town I got to go along and watch.  We finally met face to face earlier this year at one of the races when I joined him and his wife at the start of a race and then travelled with his wife to the end of the course where we had a champagne reception with the other competitors/teams…which was great fun!

Joe and his crew have rowed in so many events over the years, have raised money for charity and were even involved with the Diamond Jubilee in June and the London2012 Olympics!! How awesome.  Watching these races and boating events is so much more fun when you know someone who is rowing!  So back to the email….they will be rowing the Green Man along the Thames as part of the Twelfth Night celebrations on 6 January 2013.  This is the craft that will carry the Green Man from Ahoy to Bankside

this is what the boat will look like on the day with some holly & ivy splashed around it

So guess where I will (like to) be?  :)  Well a girl can dream can’t she!!  Failing which I will be at Bankside to welcome the Green Man and the Trinity Tide!   So cool.

2012.12.31 NEWS FLASH!!!!! I will indeed be travelling as a passenger on the beautiful Trinity Tide as she carries the Green Man to Bankside!!!  How awesome is that!! I got a message a couple of days ago from @rowjoelane to say “welcome aboard”.  HOORAY!!!!! and a MASSIVE thanks to Joe!!

Don’t miss out on this event, it looks to be great fun. “Twelfth Night is an annual seasonal celebration held in the Bankside area of London. It is a celebration of the New Year, mixing ancient seasonal customs with contemporary festivity. It is free, accessible to all and happens whatever the weather.”  Here is a link to more info about The Green Man. The Green Man is deeply rooted in a whole host of customs and traditions.   He is also known as the Wild Man, Jack-in-the-Green, the Green Knight, the May King and sometimes Robin Hood.    He is irrepressible life.

Do go along to Bankside on January 6th 2013 and take part in all the fun of the Twelfth Night festivities.  If you think someone else would enjoy the festivities please do retweet this.  Join me on twitter and find me on facebook too where I usually post photos of London as well as links to what’s happening in London.  If you would like to connect with Joe on twitter click here.

The official press release from their website:

TWELFTH NIGHT    the Lions part invites everyone to their 19th TWELFTH NIGHT CELEBRATION beginning on   the Bankside near Shakespeare’s Globe and continuing by procession to the historic  George Inn in Southwark.  A collective celebration of the New Year, TWELFTH NIGHT mixes  ancient Midwinter seasonal customs and contemporary festivity On Bankside by Shakespeare’s Globe Sunday 6th January 2013  at 2.45pm

THE HOLLY MAN FROM THE THAMES  - To herald the celebration, the extraordinary HOLLY MAN, the winter guise of the GREEN MAN (from our pub signs, pagan myths and folklore), decked in fantastic green garb and evergreen foliage, appears from the River Thames.

THE BANKSIDE WASSAILS  - With the crowd, led by the BANKSIDE MUMMERS, the HOLLY MAN will ‘bring in the green’ and toast or  ’WASSAIL’ the people, the River Thames and the Globe (an old tradition to encourage good growth) with the London Town Crier.

THE MUMMERS’ PLAY –  The MUMMERS will then process to the BANKSIDE JETTY, and perform the traditional ‘freestyle’ St. George FOLK COMBAT PLAY, featuring the Turkey Sniper, Clever Legs, the Old ‘Oss and many others, dressed in spectacular costumes.  The play is full of wild verse and boisterous action, a time-honoured part of the season recorded since the Crusades.

KING BEAN AND QUEEN PEA – CAKES distributed at the end of the play have a BEAN and a PEA hidden in two of them. Those from the crowd who find them are hailed KING and QUEEN for the day and crowned with  ceremony. They then lead the people through the streets to the historic GEORGE INN in  Southwark for a fine warming-up with STORYTELLING, the KISSING WISHING TREE more  DANCING and MULLED WINE.  TWELFTH NIGHT is FREE, FUN and PHOTO-FRIENDLY for ALL THE FAMILY.

Why not go along and make merry!!!