The Potterne Mummers are a group of friends that gather together around the Christmas period to perform the traditional Mummers Play from Potterne in Wiltshire. This play is based on a centuries old tradition that is found all over the British Isles and beyond in many different guises but generally the plot is much the same with local characters and stories woven into the play.
The Potterne ply was revived in 1953 by Bernard Baker and has been kept going by Mick Hiscock, The Moonraker Morris and many others since.

If you have ever spent a Christmas Eve in one of Potterne public houses then you have more than likely experienced the Potterne Mummers.

The first Christmas Eve I spent in the George and Dragon, our friends had made sure we were sat near the where the action was to take place. Not knowing anything about it, or even that it existed, imagine my surprise as a large costumed man burst into the bar and spoke very loudly "Here comes I, old Father Christmas....

According to www.folkplay.info "English folk plays, often called Mummers' Plays, are short traditional verse sketches performed at Christmas, Easter and other annual festivals and taken round pubs and private houses". The full historical text of the Potterne Mummers play can be found http://www.folkplay.info/Texts/87st95bw.htm thanks to Peter Millington of the Traditional Drama Research Group.

Each year the Potterne Mummers raise money for charity and 2002 was no exception as £244.23 was raised for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

The Potterne around the Millennium video section on the left has the 1999 Mummers play in the George and Dragon Inn.

As usual you can click on the picture to see a larger image, apparently this one is about 1953 and Bernard Baker if the chap with the stick, recognise anyone in the picture or have any other pictures that we could scan for the website please send us an email.