COLNE VALLEY BEAGLES PUPPY CHRISTENING
AT
WILLS O’ NATS MELTHAM – Sunday 24th
August 2014
The tradition around here is to officially
christen the hound puppies as posted before on this blog in July of 2013. The latest christening coincided with a
Harvest Auction of produce and was followed by the usual 'Bit of a Sing'.
The three Colne Valley Beagle puppies christened are nine weeks old
and have gone to ‘Puppy Walkers’ who look after them until next year when
they are old enough to rejoin the pack.
This gives them a personalized introduction to life in general and
all the experiences that puppies should have of the wider world.
The christening ceremony uses a traditional form
of words by Ammon Wrigley, a famous poet from Denshow of the 19C, and can be heard on this link –
There are a lot of photos so this post may take a
while to download. The christening
photographs may seem a bit repetitive but I wanted to include each of the three
puppies for the benefit of their new carers.
The official 'Christener'
I could murder a pint!
He's telling them what I told have just told you but in his normal local Holmfirth dialect!
Bowl of 'punch' ready for No 1.
Head was anointed with punch - shown on one below
Then a paw is dipped in and all the while the 'words' are being recited as written by Ammon Wrigley - again in Yorkshire dialect
Next please
At the end of the ceremony the Punch has to be supped. Nowt's wasted!
Wills O' Nats consistently wins awards. It is a superb pub.
THE HARVEST AUCTION
All manner of produce is up for auction, much of it home made such as jams, chutneys, scones, sloe gin, etc., as well as seasonal garden produce and the 'fruits of the field'
and what has been brought back from holiday.
Rabbits
Grouse - and hot work auctioneering too!
Bob our Wills O' Nat's host - a keen bidder
and with Joyce our hostess
A bit tiring for some
The turnip. I don't know if this is done nationally but we often have a turnip where those in the pub hammer coins into it and at the end it is auctioned. It tends to fetch a fair bit but even so the winner usually makes a profit.
Even the golden oldies have gone high tech around here.
THE SING -
Soon led off by our resident professional who charms the ladies
Dog tired by all the excitement and ready to go to its new home
Ripe for a caption competition maybe?
That's it folks - leaving while our huntsman is doing his charming.
