The Pie in the Sky

By Martin Sercombe 

In the quaint English village of Woodchester, there is an annual country dance that has been a tradition for over 300 years. The dance, known as the "Woodchester Wobble," is held on the summer solstice, and the villagers gather in the town square to participate in the festivities.

Before the dance begins, each dancer must take a sip from a small bottle of pickled herring juice, which is said to bring good luck. As the music begins, the dancers start to move in unison, performing a slow, wobbly dance that involves a lot of shuffling and twirling. Then a group of villagers dressed as giant bees will swarm around the dancers, buzzing loudly and flapping their wings.

At the height of the dance, a large pie is brought out and placed on a pedestal in the centre of the square. The dancers then form a circle around the pie and, with great solemnity, begin to chant in unison.

As they chant, the pie begins to rise slowly into the air. The dancers continue to chant, their voices growing louder and more intense, until the pie is floating high above the village, suspended in the air by some unseen force.

No one knows exactly how the Pie in the Sky ceremony began, but legend has it that it dates back to the time of the druids, who believed that the pie represented the sun, and that its ascent into the sky symbolized the beginning of summer.