What we’re about
Folklore: the traditional beliefs, customs, and stories of a community, passed through the generations by word of mouth.
```
Have you ever wondered why the bells of St Clements church sing about fruit or known why you would keep bees and honey in a rattle and tank?
Have you ever had a picnic on a plague pit, done a spring clean or kissed someone under the mistletoe?
Could you escape the Highgate Vampire… or even more ominous, the Muffin Man?
Beneath your feet and in the city around you, hidden in plain sight, London is a folklore hotspot for those who know where to look. Some with ancient roots dating back to pre-Christian Britain and some with origins recent enough to take the Piccadilly line. Some so obscure that only locals have heard of them and some so famous that they’re sung about throughout the world. Whether you want to explore how folk customs have shaped our world view and culture today, add a new layer to your knowledge of the city, or just love the mysterious, colourful, spooky or odd-this is the group for you.
Our interests include:
London, multiculturalism, history, mythology, legend, tradition, superstition, stories, fairytales, nursery rhymes, latrinalia, plantlore, urban legends, magic, ghosts, hauntings, architecture, pubs, churches, cemeteries, art, theatre, language, slang, music, temples, walks, fantasy, tall tales, nature, galleries, museums, rituals, poetry, fables, lullabies, crafts, film, curses, seasons, agriculture, literature, culture, vernacular, farming, dance, food, clothing
Disclaimer: We are not professional folklorists, academics, historians or tour guides! Only enthusiastic amateurs. This group is made to bring people together to attend events and places of folkloric interest. All are welcome!
```
Upcoming events (1)
See all- Christmas traditions: PantomimeWilton’s Music Hall, London
IMPORTANT: PLEASE ONLY CLICK ATTENDING IF YOU HAVE PURCHASED YOUR TICKET USING THE LINK BELOW*
For this festive season, we'll be taking a double dose of folklore-classic fairytales, told in the Christmas tradition of pantomime!
From the show website:
'The West End’s longest running pantomime returns to the East End for 2024 due to popular demand! Potted Panto brings you seven classic pantomimes in 80 hilarious minutes! Wilton’s Music Hall welcomes back the Olivier Award nominated festive celebration following last year’s hit season.
In a madcap ride through the biggest stories and best-loved characters from the wonderful world of pantomime, our dastardly double act dash from rubbing Aladdin’s lamp to roaming the golden streets of Dick Whittington’s London and making sure that Cinderella gets to the Ball.'
We'll be attending the beautifully historic Wilton's Music Hall, which dates from 1859 and has roots back to the 1690s, originally built to provide West End glamour, comfort and first-rate entertainment for East End working people.
Due to individual access needs, financial preferences and the potential complications of buying tickets for a group without knowing numbers, we will be purchasing our own tickets to ensure we can all select our preferred seats. However-feel free to bring friends, and we will also be meeting both before and after the show for drinks/food, where there will be folkloric fun and facts and a chance to chat! (Details of these times and locations will be given closer to the event date, please confirm number of guests in your RSVP for pre-show table bookings!)
The event date to book is WEDNESDAY 11TH DECEMBER for the 7PM VIEWING. Tickets available from the Wilton's website below*:
https://wiltons.org.uk/booking/?event-id=3429&instances-id=272549
*Disclaimers: ticket terms and conditions are as per the above link. SMFC does not have any part of running or ticketing this event, we are only attending.