FAMILIES across Worcestershire are being invited to The Commandery over the Bank Holiday Weekend for the traditional Oak Apple Day celebrations.
The popular event takes place on Sunday from 1.30pm to 5pm and Bank Holiday Monday between 10am and 5pm and tells the tale of Charles II’s flight from the Battle of Worcester through live theatre, living history and spring-inspired family fun.
The Grade I listed Commandery will see its medieval Great Hall festooned with garlands of oak leaves, its gardens filled with Morris dancing, live theatre and living history, and will delight guests with plum pudding and small beer to sweep them back in time.
Visitors can watch the brand new performance ‘Civil War Stories’ at 3pm on Sunday which weaves together true tales of politics, religion, monarchy and conflict in Worcester.
Worcester has a particular connection with the tale of Oak Apple Day, for Charles II hid from Parliamentarian troops in an oak tree in 1651, after his Royalist cause was lost at the Battle of Worcester.
He returned to the throne nine years later on his 30th birthday, May 29 1660, which became celebrated as ‘Oak Apple Day’.
As part of the celebration, children and adults would wear oak leaves and ‘oak apples’ – a small round gall made by wasps – on their clothing.
Those who didn’t do this would risk being pinched, pelted with birds’ eggs or thrashed with nettles.
Over the school holidays, splash-tastic messy science experiments inspired by the historic Royal Society of London will keep families occupied, from Tuesday to Friday.
An annual ticket for The Commandery costs £5 and entry for children is free.
Visit www.museumsworcestershire.org.uk for more information.
