Wassailing Tradition: Apple Orchards & Butler Careers
Wassailing: An Ancient Tradition
The name wassailing comes from the Old English phrase ‘waes hael’, which means ‘good health’. The tradition has continued, or been revived, in many of the apple-growing areas of the UK, including Gloucestershire and Herefordshire.
There are many variations, but a typical event would take place in the late afternoon or early evening.
Accompanied by a folk band, a Morris side, and/or a lone fiddler, people assemble in the orchard. Alternatively, a Wassail King and Queen, wearing headdresses trimmed with greenery, could lead a procession there. People may light their way by carrying blazing torches.
There is often a bonfire. Everyone forms a circle around the trees and sings the Wassail song, their throats lubricated with the Wassail drink of mulled cider topped with slices of toast.
They toast the trees. The King (or someone) pours a ring of cider around one of the trees. Then the Queen (or someone else) is lifted up to the branches of one, where she balances a piece of toast in the crook of a branch. An incantation is recited, such as:
“Here’s to thee, old apple tree, That blooms well, bears well. Hats full, caps full, Three bushel bags full, And all under one tree. Hurrah! Hurrah!”
Sometimes shotguns are discharged into the air to scare off evil spirits (and presumably anyone who hasn’t heard about the wassail).
The evening might progress around the bonfire with more music and comforting winter food, such as handwarmer pies and rich cake, washed down with the rest of the mulled cider.
An Unusual Job: The Modern Butler
What is a butler? Butlers used to work in the homes of European royal families and landowners, but now they are more likely to work for the super-rich in the United States and the Middle East. A very wealthy person may have many employees, such as cleaners, gardeners, or chauffeurs, and the butler should organize this team so they all work efficiently together.
Butlers must be well-dressed: they should wear classic, clean clothes and have a neat hairstyle. In addition, they must have excellent communication skills. The super-rich often have houses in more than one country; many butlers need to be able to speak more than one language.
In order to become a butler, you can attend a special academy, where the course usually lasts around two years. Nowadays, butlers can earn a lot of money. In America, butlers with good experience can earn between $200,000 and $300,000 per year.
An Unusual Job: The Life of a Truck Driver
Today we’re going to talk about the job of driving a truck. Only 10 percent of Britain’s truck drivers are women. Maybe this isn’t surprising. Transport companies want to employ more women, as they don’t have enough drivers. So what is it like for a woman truck driver on the road?
Let me tell you about Mary Jones. Mary is 22 years old, and she was a hairdresser. But now, she delivers food to supermarkets. She sometimes works for up to fourteen hours a day. Despite this, Mary prefers driving to hairdressing. This is because she likes traveling. For her, the main problem is that she misses her family on long trips.
To become a truck driver, you have to be over eighteen. And of course, you need to have a driving license. Now let’s talk to Mary about her job…