Up to about the time of World War I, a group of three boys from 12 years old, including Mr Buckingham’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.  Mr Buckingham learnt the song in the pub at Kingscourt.

Note by Gwilym Davies November 2011