Whovian mistletoe from 1978

A little light relief from current affairs – for Doctor Who fans anyway.

I’ve commented before on mistletoe having bit parts in Doctor Who – notably protecting Queen Victoria (and David Tennant’s Doctor) from a Werewolf in a 2006 episode.  And also mistletoe featuring, unremarked but possibly significantly, outside a portal in a 2017 episode with Peter Capaldi’s Doctor (I met Mr C briefly this year. Nice man, he said ‘hello’).

Now, via the magic of Britbox, I’ve discovered another whovian mistletoe moment, with Tom Baker’s Doctor, in the 1978 4-parter The Stones of Blood. This story (the 3rd of the Key to Time stories, for the anoraks among us) features a prehistoric stone circle and a back story about druids. And so, inevitably, there’s some mistletoe.

I remember something of this one when it was first broadcast, primarily because I recognised the location used for filming – the Rollright Stones in Oxfordshire.  These were recognisable even though the set designers did tart the circle up a bit, adding fake additional stones, including capstones in Stonehenge style, to the middle. The druid angle seems a strong part of the story at first, with a bevy of druids conducting blood sacrifices, including an attempt on Tom Baker.  The druid theme does, however, peter out in the later episodes.

But what there is is quite entertaining, with the Doctor’s usual comments on personal experiences of times past. In conversation with the lead druid, a Mr De Vries (who, spoiler alert, doesn’t survive long) the Doctor refers to John Aubrey, the antiquarian who did so much to promote druidry in the 17th century. It’s well-known that Aubrey elaborated and re-invented many druidic customs but the Doctor goes further, implying that he knew Aubrey and that druidry was ‘founded by him as a joke, he had a great sense of humour did John Aubrey’!

Mistletoe features only in passing. Before the Doctor is trussed up and tied to a stone we see Mr De Vries performing a ceremony indoors with mistletoe on an alter. The screenshots I’ve got are low quality but you can see, I hope, that it is, er, plastic mistletoe. Which is slightly disappointing, I’d wager that even John Aubrey would disapprove!

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Another berry good year

Loads of berries, again, on the mistletoe this year.

Which would, normally, mean lots of harvesting, sales and, of course, use of mistletoe.

But we have two problems this season, already mentioned in recent posts, both caused by the Covid pandemic.  Firstly fewer mistletoe sales – the Tenbury Wells Auctions are cancelled.  And secondly social distancing – how can you kiss under mistletoe when you can’t get closer than 2 metres and wearing a mask?

A flurry of media interest in both these problems this week – in the tabloids (Daily Star on Tuesday, The Sun today) and on the telly (Sky News yesterday).  You might think it’s yet another doom’n’gloom story and it is for some – certainly those sellers and buyers who use the Tenbury Auctions.  And it is tragic for Tenbury Wells itself – losing one of its main attractions this year.  The many other mistletoe suppliers (direct wholesale sellers and online retail sellers) may be finding themselves rather busy as there will be more demand from them.  Assuming people actually want mistletoe of course – there will be reduced demand from commercial venues at least.

But there is some humour to be had – at least concerning how to kiss, or not, under mistletoe during a pandemic.  The Star billed it as Snog Off, Sky News as Kissless Christmas and my suggestion of mistletoe elbow-bumping instead does make people laugh (even though I’m quite serious about it…).  The Star had that on the front page as Elbow Bump under the Mistletoe Anyone? And Sky News were just happy I’d cheered them up with elbow bumps, and mistletoe air-kissing through a mask at 2 metres, after a long session of depressing mainstream stories.

The Sun’s online story (I haven’t seen the print edition yet) today claims that they’ve asked Downing Street whether there will be a mistletoe ban!  And reckons they got this answer:

The PM’s spokesperson said that the Government would not seek to ban the popular Christmas treat over fears that people won’t stick to social distancing.

So, that’s alright then.  Phew!

Mistletoe auctions covid-cancelled

Just a quick update re the Tenbury Wells Mistletoe Auctions – these have now also been cancelled, as well as the Mistletoe Festival.

Which seems to raise the possibility that, not only will there be no kissing under mistletoe because of Covid fears, there’ll be no mistletoe to kiss under either!

Never fear, not all mistletoe comes from Tenbury’s auctions!

There are many other ways for wholesalers, retailers and the public to buy mistletoe – it’s just that Tenbury is the best-known and most visible source.

I’ll post about some of the other ways soon….