Mumming in Mumbles

The Christmas Sport was taken out and performed in several well packed pubs last Friday evening. We started off in the White Rose where we competed with considerable noise levels coming from a very packed pub oozing festive atmosphere. The Narrator and Old Father Christmas could hardly be heard but King George managed to defeat the Valiant Soldier, adapting quickly to overcome his southpaw sword play and despatching him after the Valiant Soldier had hit him after the bell.


We next visited Waterloo Stores where there was enjoyable banter with some of the customers who had not seen the play before. Mumbales in Newton Road was visited unannounced and the play went down exceptionally well with the owners and the clientele there. Valiant Knight took a ‘dive in five’ to continue the boxing analogy and was brought back to life by The Ten Round Doctor who administered his Elecampane smelling salts! We stayed awhile with Sian & Keith playing some festive tunes on their fiddle and melodeon whilst the collecting bucket for Wales Air Ambulance was passed around. We then joined in with singing of the Twelve Days of Christmas, before walking down Chapel St; where we found that Johnnies was still open. This prompted Old Father Christmas to buy chips, whilst others chose fish cakes and finding them almost as good as they were fifty years ago!

Our final round was had in the Victoria Inn which was, again, well rammed with merrymakers thoroughly enjoying their evening. The space where the play was performed was so small, and the bar so packed, anybody standing further than 10’ away was probably unaware of us performing! It was a good place to end the evening’s performances.

Photos by Alison Haworth.