Cold Ash Mummers raise charity funds

Christmas plays in and around the village raised £1,800 for Macmillan Cancer Support

COLD Ash and Hermitage Mummers raised £949 in donations from members of the public during their annual Christmas performances.

The group of actors, who perform mummers, or seasonal folk plays, put on eight shows in the run-up to Christmas in various pubs in and around the villages, including The Spotted Dog and The Castle pubs, both in Cold Ash.

In addition to this, a company that sponsors the group has agreed to double the amount raised, which means that than £1,800 will now be donated to Macmillan Cancer Support.

The plays in this form have been performed since the 18th century and sometimes take place in the street, but more usually in house-to-house visits and in pubs.

The themes are usually about death and resurrection, and they are performed at the end of the year.

Mummer Robert Pattison, of Cold Ash, said: “People enjoy coming to see our performances.

“We were very pleased with the amount raised; it was much higher than we have ever managed before.

“People were very generous.”

He added that this was the 18th year that the mummers had performed their plays at Christmas, and he expected that they would stage more performances again next year.